


Thasmin Pride Month Prompts 2020

by smallstarfox



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Burlesque Club, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Biphobia, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Male Character, Coming Out, Drunken Flirting, Existential Crisis, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family Fluff, Florists, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gender Identity, Heartbreak, Homophobic Language, Kissing, Loneliness, Love, Mild Blood, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Pride, Prompt Fic, Roleswap, Slow Dancing, Team as Family, Tears, Telepathy, Time Skips, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:00:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 34,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24590449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallstarfox/pseuds/smallstarfox
Summary: Coming back around again, a collection of short prompts mostly involving the Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz. Will also include fam dynamics. Week one is fluff. Week two is hurt/comfort/angst. Week three is AUs and week four is various fandom favourite tropes.
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan
Comments: 25
Kudos: 48





	1. Week One - Fluff

**Author's Note:**

> It's that time of year again, happy pride to any of my LGBTQIA+ followers.  
> By a mass of positive votes, I'm bringing a new series of prompts out for this month.  
> Just like the summary says, this first drop is all soft and fluffy, because I think that's needed.
> 
> Here's a rundown of what you'll see in here:  
> First Crush - bi Graham & Yaz  
> Gender Non-Conforming - 13 being nonbinary af  
> Tears - fam-centric film feels with bi Graham & Yaz  
> Kisses - 13 mentioning Rose, Jack, River, Missy and Yaz with shifting pronouns  
> Date Night - 13 & Yaz  
> Rainbow - 13 & Yaz, a meddling TARDIS  
> Dancing - 13 & Yaz

1 - First Crush

How she had quite ended up in this situation, Yaz couldn’t tell. She remembered all of them trying to find the board games cupboard and failing, and then Ryan doing some googling, but after that it was a mess. Then again, how could she have predicted the enthusiasm the Doctor had for truth or dare. Maybe it was just easier for her talk under such awkward circumstances. All that aside, she had to admit she was having fun. Ryan begrudgingly sat in a bright pink tutu after the Doctor had dared him to fit six custard creams in his mouth without chewing. He lost, and the forfeit was the tutu. Graham looked as if he had stepped right out of the glam rock era after Ryan dared him to get a makeover from Yaz. The Doctor had a random assortment of coloured streaks in her hair, after saying mid-truth she wanted to try a new style. It was certainly a look. Yaz, meanwhile, had come off unscathed in all dares, despite everything Ryan had thrown at her. The dares she could handle - they were never a bother - but the truths scared her the most. So, she had been avoiding them almost entirely in favour of dares.

However, when the Doctor’s turn rolled around again, she found herself slipping.

“So! Yaz: truth or dare?”

“Um...truth.”

She felt three sets of eyes on her then, watched as Ryan threw his hands up in triumph and the Doctor raised an eyebrow slowly. Clearly, she had been playing the game of dares longer than she had noticed. But, she trusted the Doctor. There was no way she would ever ask her something that would make her feel uncomfortable. She couldn’t. 

“Who was the first person you got a crush on?”

Or not.

Yaz’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped, her heart starting to race in her chest. She had never talked to anyone about her crushes, ever. Not her mum, not her sister, not even the few friends she had at school. She had done what she had always done; internalised it and prayed it would go away. On all accounts, she was still doing it now, but her track record for ‘getting over a crush’ was...none. More to the point, there was a big reason why she had never talked about them. How could she even begin to explain that as a child, her first crush was…

“I can tell you about mine if you want, Yaz.”

Turning her head, she caught sight of Graham smiling softly. He shuffled a little closer, dropping a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently.

“Oh! Storytime with Graham! Yes please.”

The Doctor shuffled in a little closer as well, eyes wide with excitement and anticipation. Yaz had to admit, it did make her feel a little better, but she was still worried. Or, she was, until Graham said the first sentence.

“I was about...twenty six? Maybe? Anyways it was sometime in the seventies and his name was Robert.”

“Hold up...you had a man-crush?!”

It was Ryan’s turn to have his mouth drop, meanwhile both Yaz and the Doctor looked as if they were still trying to process it.

“‘Course I did, son. You think that all this...LGBT-whatever it is stuff only happened the last twenty years? My generation gave you lot the kick up the backside to be where you are now, thank you. And yes, I did. He was a lovely bloke. Had real soft eyes and a great smile. I didn’t know there was a word for what I was thinking back then though. I just tried to pretend it didn’t exist. You could get some real nasty stuff your way if you talked about it. It wasn’t until Grace was telling me about her inclusivity courses, that I got the word for it. A lot of stuff made sense after that.”

With everything quickly settling into place, Yaz leant over and wrapped her arms around Graham as tightly as she could. For a moment, he tensed up at the sudden display of affection, before coming around and hugging her back.

“That’s me too...thank you Graham.”

She whispered against the tight knit of his jumper, smiling as a hand rubbed against her shoulders slowly.

“Any time cockle...can always talk to me about this stuff, alright?”

When Yaz let go, she turned back to the rest of the fam. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. There was someone who she could talk to, after all her years spent trying to pretend everything was normal. The Doctor broke out into a wide grin, knees bouncing as she looked over at Graham.

“I know a thing or two about man crushes. I had them too. When I was a man, obviously. Time Lords don’t really do the whole gender thing, but I guess that’s what you’d call it in human ideas. Don’t think it’s probably a great idea for me to talk about it though, it’s complicated. Anyway. You okay, Yaz? Sorry if I got too deep for you. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I can give you a different question if you want?”

Yaz shook her head slowly, a smile creeping across her face in kind. Maybe it was finally time to talk about it all. She felt safer than she ever had before, and she trusted everyone that was in the room with her.

“No, I’m okay. And if you want to know...the truth is, my first crush was when I was nine. Her name was Ashley, and she was the prettiest girl I had ever seen. I just thought I wanted to be her friend really badly. Kids were too busy trying to get the boys to kiss the girls, so I didn’t really have anything to go off of either. It wasn’t until it happened again when I was fourteen, while I was also wondering if I had a thing for this guy called Shane, that I got the idea of bisexuality off my girl crush Asha. I didn’t really do anything with it until later...because...you know.”

The Doctor smiled wide, nodding along as Yaz spoke. In the back of her mind, she had to admit it was quite funny that she had suddenly developed a habit of picking up companions who went against the norm. Maybe Bill had rubbed off on her. Whatever the case, she was just glad that her fam felt comfortable enough around her to talk about it. Judging by the relief on both Yaz and Graham’s faces, it had been something they had been puzzling over for quite some time.

“Right then, your go Yaz!”

* * *

2 - Gender Non-Conforming

She could hear the chatter, it wasn’t exactly that hard to miss. That combined with the Doctor’s extra keen hearing and her already tumultuous state made it difficult to ignore. Also, throwing in the sensitivity of her telepathy lately, it was all but a disaster. It became so much, in fact, that the Doctor had to leave. She slid through the crowds of people in suits and ball gowns, careful not to knock into the waiters on her way out to the balcony. Some fresh air would help clear her head, it always did. Plus, it was night time, and the sky would be awash with stars and constellations and nebulas and everything she loved about the universe. Carefully passing through the doors, the Doctor nestled herself in between two potted miniature fruit trees and pressed her back against the stone wall. It was cool, and felt great against her flushed skin. How had it come to this? Nothing flustered the Doctor, ever. She had a track record of always being in control. Nothing made her feel weird, or uncomfortable, or strangely out of place. Aside from the fact she was the last of the Time Lords, but nobody ever really knew or paid attention to that.

No, she was always okay. Except for today. That scared her.

Hazel-green eyes looked up at the stars. They were beautiful. Even with the lights for the village below, she could see the twin moons and the Skora nebula. It made her feel so big, and so small at the same time. She looked down and brought her knees up to her chest, muttering as she counted the sequined stars on her trousers. Trousers...why did they always have to be a point of contention? They were a brilliant invention! Comfortable, easy to move in, they had pockets to store all kinds of things inside of, didn’t draw attention to her...and yet, they somehow still did. Same for her shirt. And bowtie. And jacket. And hairstyle. And her mannerisms. Basically, everything about her was suddenly some massive problem and she couldn’t understand why. It had never been a problem before, she had always run around in suits and fancy clothes. What was the big deal?

So lost in her thoughts was the Doctor, that she didn’t hear the doors opening to her left, and didn’t see the trails of a dress come past her either. She only snapped out of her own thoughts when she heard her name being called.

“Doctor? Are you out here?”

“M’down here, Yaz.”

Her voice was muffled into the fabric of her trousers and by the trees surrounding her. Soon enough, yYaz was crouched down in front of her. Her silver dress shone so beautifully in the moonlight, the Doctor swearing blind she was looking at an angel. Yaz was effortlessly gorgeous, breathtaking, ethereal, otherworldly, stunning…

“Are you alright?”

“Me? Yeah! Absolutely! Totally fine, nothing wrong at all, I’m perfectly alright. Just came for a bit of fresh air is all. Aren’t the stars wonderful up here? You know, I could tell you about them.”

She was stalling, vying for time, praying that Yaz wouldn’t ask again. She watched as she came and sat down beside her, head turned to the stars. Except, there wasn’t a smile on her face. Her lips were pressed firmly together, her eyes strained, tension building in her shoulders. It was the Doctor, then, who wanted to ask what was wrong, but she was beaten to the punch.

“Whoever invented dresses...I’d like some words with them. And high heels. God, they’re basically torture devices for women. I wish I’d gone for something more practical like you did, Doctor...my feet and my back are killing me.”

That gave the Doctor pause. She slowly uncurled her legs, and just stared at Yaz. Yaz, who looked beyond words, who was complaining about formal conventions and womanhood. That was new. While the Doctor remained silent, processing everything, Yaz leant over and pulled the frills of her dress up to her knees. Fingers slowly began to unbuckle the various straps of her heels, and they were soon tossed further along the marbled floor of the balcony.

“At least people don’t look at you weird when you’re like that…”

“Is that why you’re out here?”

“Yeah…”

Both of them sat in silence for a while, neither really knowing what to say next. The Doctor certainly didn’t have a clue where she was going at all. Everything since regenerating had been beyond confusing for her. Not that she had ever shown it, aside from the mix of intentional and unintentional slip ups. She had tried to ignore it all, but something had been drawing her away from convention since day one. The Doctor would look at Yaz, and see something she knew she was too, but could never really be.

“You shouldn’t listen to them, Doctor. I know it’s not really the most fitting thing for the time, but why should it matter? It’s not like you’re here wearing nothing at all. That would be a scandal. This...isn’t. And who cares if you like trousers, or suits? Who cares if you take the lead in dances, or hold doors, or bow instead of curtsy? Why should any of that matter? You’re the Doctor. You’re you. You're smart, brave, funny, and right now you look more handsome than any man here, and more beautiful than any woman too. Quite frankly, I don’t think it’d be right to put you in a dress. Trust me, it’s not fun.”

Using the plant pots for leverage, Yaz stood up slowly and held out a hand for the Doctor.

“Now then, would you be a gentleman and take me back to the TARDIS for some better shoes? Maybe those skirt-pants you got me when we saw Tesla?”

Taking Yaz’s hand, the Doctor hoisted herself up, a smile growing on her face. Of course she could have guessed that Yaz would understand, if she had taken five seconds to not wallow in self pity nor the expectations of society. Dipping her head and smiling at the sound of her laugh, the Doctor held out an arm for Yaz to link herself through.

“If my lady wishes to return to the TARDIS, then I will happily oblige. Guess it’s you who really needs to get out of those clothes this time, huh?”

* * *

3 - Tears

Movie night had become a staple on the TARDIS, something that happened once a week, like clockwork. Really, it was the only way for them to keep track of the time that passed, and Yaz for one absolutely loved it. Sitting down, cramped together with a bucket of popcorn, was the highlight of her week. They all had varying tastes in movies too, so it was always something new on show for the majority. Last week, Ryan had taken to showing the rest of them Fast Color, and it had given the whole of the fam pause for thought. Tonight, it was Yaz’s turn to pick a movie, and she had planned what she had wanted to share for weeks. Sonya had shown her the film first of all, saying it was “something she would be interested in” but Yaz had put it off for months. So much so, that when she was looking for a film to watch, it took the DVD falling from the top of her shelf to get her to remember it. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga - that was her choice.

As the film drew to a close, Yaz could see all too well why her sister had recommended it to her. She had been so engrossed in it, that Ryan and the Doctor had eaten all of the popcorn between them. Graham’s tea had gone stone cold, sitting unloved on a side table as the whole fam sat forward and perched, awaiting the conclusion. Though, really, they never got that far. It was the Doctor who had stopped the film as the father started to read the main character’s diary, jumping off the sofa and crouching down in front of Yaz like she was possessed.

“Yaz? Hey, Yaz, look at me.”

Completely unaware of what was going on around her, Yaz shook her head and looked down to see the Doctor’s worried expression. As she went to talk, she felt something drop against her lip.

“Hey, it’s okay. Do you wanna talk about it, or do you wanna watch the rest of the movie?”

What was the Doctor on about? When Yaz blinked, she had more of an idea. Her eyes were wet, so were her cheeks, and her lips tasted of salt. She had been crying. How long had she been crying for. She felt an arm come around her shoulder - Ryan - and heard the sound of the sofa squeaking as Graham moved to come and position himself next to the Doctor. His eyes were shining too, although he was a little better at keeping his composure than she had been. Although, it did make her feel a little better that she wasn’t the only one taken aback by the tone of the movie.

“S-sorry. I...I didn’t realise I…”

“Mate, it’s alright. You’re allowed to cry at stuff. Take it from me, you can’t be the strong one all the time. I mean, I had a bit of a cry after my movie, because all I could think of was me nan. She’d’ve loved that film.”

While the Doctor moved to sit on the floor cross-legged - or, as best as she could get, really it looked more like a mess of limbs - Graham reached out and placed a hand on her knee, squeezing it gently.

“Lemme guess, it all sounded very familiar, huh Yaz?”

Of course Graham would get it. How could anything like that ever fly past him. Yaz had to admit, he really was good at keying into feelings, and she swore that since the whole incident with Jake and Adam, he had become very in tune with the business of sexuality. She sniffled quietly, wiping the tears away with the sleeve of her shirt while nodding slowly. She wanted to say something and opened her mouth to do so, but all that came out was a strange squeak and she closed her mouth quickly after that. That was when she saw a blur of blonde hair and soon she was wrapped up in a tight hug. The Doctor was clearly tense at the contact, Yaz could feel how stiff and rigid she was with her arms around her, but it made her heart swell all the same.

“We’re all here for you, Yaz. And we all love you, very much.”

“‘Course we do, cockle. I know it’s hard seeing things you relate to...but none of that’ll happen to you. And if it ever did, you’ve got us lot.”

“Yeah man. You ain’t gotta hide anything from us. Don’t matter who you love, it’s all chill here.”

That just set another fresh set of tears falling from her eyes, but not because she was upset.

No, it was because she was happy. The happiest she had ever felt. She knew deep down that her parents would never make her do anything she didn’t want to do, but the fear always remained because it was what was expected in a Pakistani family. It had been the same for her Nani, and her mum, so why should it change for her? Then again, she was different to them. She had different ideas of how her life wanted to go. Not to say she wasn’t ever going to marry a man, but how could that be decided for her when she also loved women too? What if, one day, she had a wife? How would that even play out? But those were questions for another day. Until then, she had her found family, and a film that needed to be finished watching. Gently nudging the Doctor away again and wiping her eyes for a second time, she gestured over towards the television.

“I’m okay. Thank you. Really. I wanna see how this ends. Graham, can you just pass the tissue box though. Just...just in case.”

With that settled, they all eventually returned to their spots on the sofa, although Yaz scooted a little closer to the Doctor and looked at her with a grateful smile before she pressed play again.

* * *

4 - Kisses

When he had first kissed Rose...oh, he had wanted to for so long...but of course, it was a necessity. She had taken the Heart of the TARDIS to save him. But that didn’t mean he hadn’t paid attention. No, he had enough space in his head to multitask. Even with the taste of salt on her lips from the tears, the burning and blistering heat of the Heart, he had felt her. She was undeniably soft. There was a slight roughness to her lips, a touch of teeth, a pressure building up inside him that felt like nothing he had ever experienced. Kissing Rose back then was quite possibly one of the best things that body had ever known. Oh, how he wished he had done it sooner, done it more, but his time was so short. He took that with him, those feelings, and let them morph him into something new.

How many men, and women, had he kissed? How many had known his touch, and him theirs. Rose felt electric the second time around, full of fire and life and so many things he couldn’t describe. She always took him by surprise, but that was part of her charm. It was hard, passionate, a flick of the tongue and everything just a little lopsided. It was fun and playful and something he would never really forget. How his hearts had ached seeing her in his own arms, on the outside looking in. It never left him.

Jack...how could he forget Jack. A surprise to say the least, but so tender. It was a goodbye kiss after all, and yet it still held everything the Doctor loved about him in one moment. A little cheeky, a bit bold, almost daring him to take over. But then it had gone away again, and he never quite forgave himself for everything that happened afterwards.

River...oh River. Oh so many times they had kissed, through so many different timelines and states of being, and yet the Doctor still knew. Deep down. Something inside them always knew. River was nothing like him, never was and never would be. She had all the power and control, nothing was ever soft about her kisses and yet they had so much love behind them. It was a constant battle between the fire and ice inside her, her need for control and her desire to show just how much she loved him. Through three different faces, he had kissed her, and none of them ever changed. Her desire remained resolute.

While the Doctor had pondered, over so many lifetimes, where things were with...him...her...he had never really ever imagined what it would be like to kiss his oldest friend. Enemy. The lines were so blurred by that point that the Doctor had no idea where he stood. And yet, despite smooth lipstick and a tongue very much taking over his entire senses, the Doctor did not necessarily hate the experience that Missy brought to his memories. Not that he would ever want it again - oh no, not again - it had certainly left a mark. She was just as wild a Master he ever knew, always for control and domineering everything. Just to throw him off guard, get the upper hand. It was a funny way of showing they cared...he assumed, at least. At least by the end. His oldest, only remaining link to Gallifrey...oh, how things had changed since then.

And then there was Yaz.

Yasmin Khan. So young, so full of hope and promise and adventure. Smart, witty, brave, ticking every single one of the Doctor’s boxes since the days he had crashed through the train. If only she could tell herself to be careful, to be wary, to be warned that even though she had changed...there was nothing to stop her from falling into old habits. Old patterns. Familiarities. Oh, how the Doctor was still weak at the knees for a pretty girl with a backbone and a twinkle in her eye. She was so weak, so easily taken in by everything that was Yasmin Khan. No amount of hiding, of pretending, could ever change that fact. She had fallen hard and fast and lived with the fear and the guilt and the shame of it all for far too long. Tried to push it aside, throw her off, because she could see the look in her eye. It was the same look she had seen a thousand times before, the look that all those that came before her had had. The love, the adoration, the wonder, the passion. It was all for her and by the stars, she wanted it more than anything else in the universe.

Yasmin Khan was her weakness, a poison, something that worked so deep into her very being that she craved it like water. Like air. Like the sun and the stars and space and everything in between. Oh, how she had thought about her. Night and day and every waking moment where she wasn’t otherwise occupied by threats and danger and just general chaos. In those moments, she imagined far too deeply what would become. What she wanted to be true. She imagined how soft she was, the gentle curve of her lips and the inviting smile that made her hearts melt. She imagined her being the most gentle out of them all, so young and still so fearful and new underneath it all. She imagined she would taste sweeter than any fruit in any galaxy she had ever travelled to, nervous and unsure and nothing like she had ever experienced before.

Oh, she was both right and wrong.

Yaz was gentle. She was considered. She was careful and soft and made the Doctor want to melt into a puddle and never reform. But, she still held the spark she had come to expect from all of her companions. At least, the ones who stole her away. Her fingers had wrapped around her braces and pulled her in and forced them together with such a gravity she couldn’t ignore anymore. Her lips were the softest she had ever felt, and they melded together with her own perfectly. She never wanted to leave the powerful embrace. The Doctor was powerless to fight back, but by the stars she tried. She tried to use every single scrap of knowledge she had - the Doctor was, obviously, very much experienced in the ways of a kiss by now - and yet Yaz did something to her that disabled every single will to fight. She just wanted to stay where she was, forever, with Yaz breathing her in as if she were the most tempting of drugs.

The Doctor practically whined when they broke apart, but the smile on Yaz’s face that spread to her own just made it all the more worthwhile.

* * *

5 - Date Night

It had been a month in planning. Had it really been that long? Either way, the Doctor stood at the doors of the TARDIS, fidgeting nervously on the spot. She toyed with the sonic in her coat pocket with one hand, as her eyes constantly darted between the white paint of the interior door side and the hallway behind the console. She started to quickly bounce on her heels, mind racing over the possibility she had done something wrong. As the Doctor then dashed over to the console to make a hasty exit, she finally heard footsteps. Twisting around on the spot and trying to flash her signature smile, she was greeted by the always lovely sight of Yaz making her way down hexagonal steps.

“So, you said aquarium, right?”

The Doctor nodded eagerly, quickly removing her hand from the main TARDIS switch.

“Yep! Aquarium. I’ve been to loads of them in this part of the galaxy, but somehow always missed out on going to the one on Regus Seven. Dunno why, they've got so many amazing creatures. Even a turtle that's as old as I am. Well, guess that’s not strictly true now. Still, he’s about two thousand years old and the size of a blue whale on earth. You don’t mess with space turtle’s Yaz, they’re more dangerous than a saltwater crocodile.”

“Sounds...lovely…”

While she wasn’t all that enthused about some killer turtle, Yaz had to admit she was at least excited about the rest of the trip. The Doctor had only told her that morning what was happening, and she had spent the last half hour getting ready for a supposed trip of a lifetime. Not like every single trip with the Doctor fit that bill. Then again, it was the first time the two of them had been alone since…well, Yaz couldn’t even remember anymore. Rounding the console to stand at the side of the Time Lord, she held out her hand and smiled wide when it was taken hold of. The Doctor eagerly pulled her through the TARDIS, opening the doors with a snap of her fingers and watching as Yaz’s mouth dropped. They were directly in the aquarium. By the looks of things, it was completely deserted as well. When Yaz stepped out and saw nobody else around, not even activated lights, she turned back to the Doctor questioningly.

“Technically...the aquarium is closed right now. But right now it’s the middle of the night for Regus. I mean, their night lasts about three Earth days so we have plenty of time to look around. Regus Seven is mostly the aquarium these days. They had to terraform a large portion of the planet just to house some of these creatures in. The staff come in from off-world mostly, from the neighbouring Regus Six. Tiny little moon planet, but the people are absolutely lovely. If you look past the four arms and twin heads. Anyway, shall we get going Yaz? I know just where I’m gonna take you first.”

Of course the Doctor had brought her when nobody else was around. It was just like her, not to want to share experiences with anyone else. Not maliciously, they shared a great many things with Ryan and Graham, but time alone was scarce and almost sacred. Still clinging to the Doctor’s hand, Yaz let herself be dragged through the widened dark hallways of the locked-down aquarium. She shook her head in amusement as the Doctor pulled out her sonic screwdriver and set the lights on all around them with a quick wave of the device. Now she could see better than just the glowing tanks, Yaz couldn’t help but gasp. They stood just outside of a vast glass tunnel. She had seen them in the SeaLife centres back home, but this one put all of them to shame. The tunnel seemed to go on forever, and was impossibly tall. That, and the floor was glass too, meaning there was a full view of the creatures around them.

“This place is amazing…”

“Come on, you’ll see the space turtles here. Oh, and maybe a couple of Cerberus sharks, some nebula fish, a sunspot jellyfish; those things put your Man of Wars to shame. Go on, have a look.”

While the Doctor let go of her hand and gave a gentle push to her shoulders, Yaz cautiously stepped forward into the tunnel. Everything seemed to suddenly close in around her as she took the first step, hands instinctively reaching out for the sides of the tunnel as she felt as if she would disappear into the strange teal waters that surrounded her. Eventually, she made it several paces inside, turning around on the spot as she craned her neck to see above her. As the Doctor had said, there were a great many strange creatures swimming around her. She wasn’t sure what shocked her the most. Possibly the cerberus shark, that really did live up to its name. A hammerhead, a great white and a whale shark were all seemingly stitched together into one gigantic creature that cast a shadow through the tunnel as it swam overhead. A shoal of multicoloured fish parted and scattered as it moved, dipping below her and hiding in a huge bed of corals and sea ferns.

“This is just the entrance...right?”

Yaz called out to the Doctor, who skipped over and shook her head.

“Yep. The people who built the aquarium wanted to start off with a bag. I mena, can you really blame them when all this beautiful fauna exists in the universe? They offer people a chance to dive in the tanks, because contrary to nature, all these creatures are perfectly safe to swim around. So long as you don’t make any sudden movements. Nature isn’t so different outside of Earth, everything follows the same basic set of instincts really. It’s remarkable.”

Both of them walked a little further along, with Yaz holding onto the Doctor’s arm for balance. She really couldn’t get to grips with the fact the floor wasn’t just going to fall away from underneath her, or that it really did exist. It was so clear, so smooth, and it felt like she could swim away.

“Thank you for bringing me here.”

Pausing mid step, Yaz turned around and rose up on her toes to press a gentle kiss to the Doctor’s cheek, smiling as she watched her turn away in an unusual throw of embarrassment.

“Y-you’re welcome. I just wanted to do something nice for you. Show you how much I care, you know?”

“I love you, idiot. Come on, show me the rest of this place.”

“With pleasure!”

The Doctor bounded off through the tunnel, her laughter echoing all around Yaz and bringing a wide grin to her face as she sped off after her, her own laughs joining the mixture.

* * *

6 - Rainbow

“Doctor?”

Yaz peered underneath the TARDIS console, eyes drifting down a small hatch that an oil covered Doctor looked up through. She had been working on the telepathic circuits - again - and Yaz had made a point of standing near where she worked to constantly remind her of the time. Lest she disappear from the rest of them for two days solid again.

“Yeah?”

“How much longer are you gonna be down there for?”

If she was being honest with herself, Yaz had an ulterior motive for hanging around while the Doctor was working. That being, she really wanted to spend some one on one time with her. With everything that had been happening lately - namely Ryan and Graham calling dibs on various locations that she only had an outward interest in - she wanted something a bit more...otherworldly. One of the reasons she had decided to travel with the Doctor was her love of space, and there had been a seemingly great lack of it recently. Not that she didn’t love the fact that the TARDIS could travel in time too, but everything had been so Earth-centric that she had been left with a gnawing craving for something more. Again. That and just some time to sit and cuddle the Doctor wouldn’t go amiss at all.

“Oh, probably a while yet. There’s so much stuff down here that I- OW!”

As the Doctor gestured, her hands brushed past several exposed wires that hissed and spat sparks out. She jumped to one side, rubbing her hands together and glaring up at the underside of the console.

“Did you just do that on purpose?”

The TARDIS let out a few cursory beeps and a whine, which the Doctor pouted at.

“You’re the one whol told me to come down here! You can’t just- HEY!”

Again, sparks started to fly around the Doctor, along with a small jet of steam that came from a half exposed pipe. Yaz couldn’t help but laugh at the way the Time Lord jumped and cursed under her breath.

“Fine, no need to be so mardy. Don’t blame me when you’re all in a twist again. Also, mind your tone. I heard you the first time. I’m not avoiding anything.”

Untying the welding apron from around her waist and pulling a thick set of goggles from her head, the Doctor dropped them both on the ground and looked back up at Yaz.

“Um...little help?”

Rolling her eyes, Yaz carefully lowered herself down into her knees and let her arms drop down the square hole. The Doctor mumbled a quick ‘thank you’ before she grabbed hold of her arms and pushed up so that Yaz could pull her out. Under any other circumstances, the Doctor would have just hoisted herself out, but really, she just happened to want an excuse to touch Yaz. Especially if it meant allowing her the opportunity to show off her strength a little bit. It was something that the Doctor had admired greatly from afar, or she had done, until Yaz had picked up on her staring and had taken the time to rib her over it and show off many times. Once she was back on the right side of the TARDIS floor, the Doctor heaved a sigh and ran her oil stained fingers through her hair.

“So, what do you want to do, seeing as the old girl has pretty much kicked me out.”

Yaz took a step closer to the Doctor and pressed a hand to her cheek, carefully rubbing away one of the splashes of oil with her thumb.

“Can we just, I dunno, sit and watch the stars? I feel like we haven’t seen space for ages now. Despite floating in it.”

Pushing against the hand on her cheek, the Doctor smiled before moving away to the console.

“Open up the doors and get comfy. Lemme just get the old girl to turn around a little. I think we’re in the perfect spot to see something right now anyway. The Spectra Cascada.”

Yaz did as instructed, hopping down the steps and striding over towards the doors. She was beyond thankful that the TARDIS had a shield that meant they could open the doors in space without anything happening. It always proved to make nights with the Doctor that more special. Once the doors were open, she shuffled closer to the edge and sat herself down, legs dangling into the black expanse as she watched the stars slowly start to rotate and shift around her. The Doctor skipped around the console, pulling switches and twisting dials, rotating the TARDIS and pushing her further along through the galaxy. It only took a minute or two, before she clapped her hands in triumph and all but sprinted down to where Yaz sat. By the time she settled down beside her, the TARDIS was starting to twist to the correct angle.

“Any second now, she’ll be right...there! See it?”

The Doctor extended a hand and pointed outwards, and it took Yaz a couple of seconds to catch sight of things before colours started to glow. In its own way, it was just as spectacular as the cosmic fireworks, but more like an aurora in nature. The blackness began to glow and come alive with so many colours, some of which she swore she had never seen before, the stars all pulsating and pushing out waves of extended colour.

“ The Spectra Cascada. It’s any wonder we just happened to be right near it as it was going off. Only happens once in a couple hundred years. All the planets give off this gas, which lights up under the heat of the stars. Like those experiments kids do in the science labs with bunsen burners and various elements. Think of it like that but...magnified by approximately seven hundred thousand and ninety...two? No, ninety three. Yeah, that’s about right.”

She didn’t care about the science, despite how fascinating it was. No, Yaz was just mesmerised by the whole spectacle. There was a little pull of something in the back of her mind, that made a smile come on her face. The TARDIS had clearly had a hand in it, it wasn’t just some coincidence. Whatever it was, Yaz loved it, and slid her arms around the Doctor’s waist and settled her head against her shoulder. Sure, she reeked of smoke and oil, but it was just like the Doctor and she loved it above all else. Despite her usual discomfort with physical affection, the Doctor softened into the touch and pressed a kiss to the side of Yaz’s head as they floated aimlessly through space and watched the colours bloom.

* * *

7 - Dancing

“Sorry you couldn’t make it to the reunion night, Yaz.”

“S’okay. Kinda didn’t really wanna go be around everyone from school. Hate having a cold though.”

As if to emphasise her point, Yaz sniffled, reaching past the Doctor for the box of tissues. One thing she really didn’t like about her job was how easy it was to pick up whatever bug was going around at the time. However, at least being with the Doctor meant she had access to some of the best medicine in the galaxy. Unfortunately, it took a day to work, so she was still lost in the throws of her cold for a while longer. Sliding her arms into the sleeve of her jumper, she pressed up closer to the Time Lord and let out a frustrated huff. She had been cooped up in her house for three days now, and it was driving her mad. At least going out to the school reunion meant she could be around people. Even if they weren’t the best people to begin with. Sonya was off on holiday with her mates, and her parents had also decided to go away. Leaving her all alone. At least the Doctor offered to stay grounded with her. Ryan and Graham had visited twice too, but it just wasn’t the same as the wider world.

“Tell me again what was gonna go on there.”

“Oh you know. Same as most reunions. Sit down dinner, an open bar later in the night and a dance floor. Two of those three things are my idea of hell, honestly. I don’t drink and being in a room of people no doubt about to get drunk drives me mental.”

“And the second?”

The Doctor shuffled back just enough to look at her, still hugging one of the purple velveteen pillows close to her chest.

“Unorderly dancing. No thank you. If you’re gonna dance...at least know what you’re doing. I’d die if I looked like an uncoordinated idiot. I need structure, you know? None of this...all over the place chaos.”

Yaz didn’t expect the look of offence on the Doctor’s face and almost back-pedalled entirely. Instead, she just watched as the Time Lord jumped up onto her feet and held out a hand towards her. Questioning her, Yaz took a moment to look at the serious expression before tentatively taking hold of the Doctor’s hand. She was dragged up off the sofa, stumbling slightly from the force, and quickly put into what she could only describe as a waltz stance. One hand was moved to the Doctor’s hip, while the other was held out at an angle while she felt a hand on one of her shoulders.

“Doctor?”

“If you can’t have a dance without order, then…”

As the Doctor’s eyes moved up to the ceiling, Yaz watched as the lights in the lounge dimmed all around them. The once quiet room soon became awash with gentle classical music, piano and violins and a great many other instruments drawing her attention away from the predicament she found herself in.

“That’s just what I’ll have to show you.”

As soon as the last word tumbled from the Doctor’s lips, she started to move. Her steps were slow and considered, giving Yaz just enough time to catch up to them and get on board with the fact she was slow dancing in the front room of her flat in a scenario that seemed entirely impossible.

“I rigged the Alexa to the TARDIS so it’s telepathic now. Just for me, though. I know nobody else would use it like that, and I’ll take all the updated components out once your family is due to come home in case anything explodes. Again. I don’t want them to be mad at me like the television incident. Or the oven incident. Or the-”

“Shut up and teach me to dance.”

Yaz wasn’t sure if it was the cold making her feel flushed, or something else, but Yaz smirked as the Doctor’s mouth dropped and she stayed silent. Eventually, she regained her composure enough to change things up. No longer swaying on the spot, she started to turn clockwise around the room, making sure to be careful of both the dining table and the low table between the two sofas. Yaz followed her steps perfectly, although she found herself losing her balance at the back of being twisted out and then pulled back in again. But she didn’t care, she was too busy enjoying herself and laughing at the spontaneity that made the Doctor undeniably her. Of course she would get up and dance with her the second she mentioned it. She had a habit of dropping everything to prove a point. Clearly, she knew exactly what she was doing and Yaz loved every second of it.

What Yaz didn’t expect, however, was the feeling of the world coming incredibly close to her. The Doctor was leaning forward, pushing her back, her spine bending from being coerced and soon Yaz was looking up into the wide hazel-green eyes she swore she could get lost in. The Doctor was so incredibly close to her, the music swelling in her ears, enveloping both of them into their own little world. With her cheeks flushing and mouth growing dry, Yaz smiled, craning her neck up just enough to press her lips to the Time Lord’s own. She kept smiling into the kiss, especially as the Doctor did just the same back, and soon enough she was back standing straight and being pressed right into the Doctor’s body with two strong arms.

“You planned this, didn’t you Doctor?”

“Maybe a little bit. Can’t have you not having fun. Also, it wasn’t entirely just an opportunity for me to show off, I swear.”

“Sure. I’ll believe that when I see it. Can I sit back down though, all this moving about has made me feel a little wobbly.”

Fully expecting the Doctor to just guide her to the sofa again, Yaz squealed as she felt herself being lifted up off the floor and right into the Doctor’s arms.

“Better idea. How about an early night? By the time you wake up, that Velaxian medicine should have cleared your cold right up.”

“Well I can’t exactly say no, can I?”

“Nope! Off to bed we go.”

With a kiss placed softly on her forehead, yaz cuddled in closer to the Doctor and allowed her to carry her through the lounge and off into her bedroom for a much needed early night.


	2. Week Two - Whump

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another seven prompts revolving around the themes of hurt/comfort, whump, and more difficult pride-adjacent topics.  
> Affirmation, jealousy, misunderstanding, threats, injury, alone, heartbreak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another week, another collection of prompts for you to enjoy.  
> This is the whumpy part of the week, and I bring warnings of bullying, slurs and phobia.
> 
> Affirmation: 13 & Yaz, biphobia/common misconceptions  
> Jealousy: 13 & Yaz  
> Misunderstanding: 13 & Graham, bi vs pan debate  
> Threats: 13 & Yaz, bullying flashbacks, phobic slurs  
> Injury: 13 & Yaz, blood  
> Alone: 13 & Yaz, depressive/existencial thoughts  
> Heartbreak: Yaz, rejection

8 - Affirmation

Why had she thought it was a good idea to tell them? She should have known better. Part of Yaz knew that they didn’t mean it, not really, they just didn’t understand. Except after a busy day at work of people berating her for doing what she was trained for, it really didn’t help to have clueless and borderline judgemental parents. Another day she would try to help them understand, but until then she was mad. There was only one place she wanted to be. Completely turning away from the road to her flat, Yaz wandered the streets of Sheffield for a few moments until she found the TARDIS, tucked away a couple of turns from Graham’s house. With her hands against the door, she braced herself for the over-exuberant welcome that no double awaited her from the Doctor. She was always incredibly glad to see her come ‘home’ after work. It was like walking into a home with a labrador.

“Yaz! How was- Wait. Hold up. Has something happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Her words came out much harsher than she intended, judging by how the Doctor flinched and shrunk back as she walked past her. Really, Yaz just wanted some time to herself to think about what had happened. To figure out what to do next. Except she knew that wasn’t going to happen. As Yaz walked through the TARDIS hallways, she could feel all the worst thoughts bubbling up to the surface. Things she had heard people say over the years, things she had seen happen in tv shows and in movies. By the time she made it to the lounge, she all but broke down into silent sobs. Burying her head in her hands and dropping down onto the sofa, she curled up slightly on her side and fell into her worst side. She didn’t notice the Doctor had followed her, only really stopped to breathe when she felt the sofa dip beside her.

“Yaz?”

It took a while, but Yaz eventually lifted her head up. The Doctor leant forward and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before moving her hand to her knee and squeezing it gently.

“Do you wanna tell me what’s wrong?”

Wiping her eyes on the back of her shirt sleeve, Yaz shuffled upright. Her gaze was focused on the floor, arms wrapping around her waist as she sniffled quietly.

“It’s stupid…”

“It’s not stupid if it’s upsetting you.”

“But it is though!”

Yaz’s head turned around to face the Doctor sharply, a fresh well of tears starting to form in her eyes as she clung tighter to herself.

“It shouldn’t bother me that people think I’m just gay. It shouldn’t bother me when I hear people say I’ve just picked a side. It shouldn’t bother me that people look at me weird for not being straight, or for mentioning you. It shouldn’t bother me that people think I’m in a phase or that I’m just trying to get attention for being different. But it does! It really does. I hate that I can’t just pretend that I only like guys, and I hate that sometimes I don’t even like them at all. I hate how I can’t just be left alone to be myself in peace without someone getting the completely wrong idea about who I am.”

As the new tears started to fall, and Yaz’s breathing started to become erratic, the Doctor disregarded all personal preferences about affection and leant over and pulled her close. She held as tight as she could to Yaz as she cried against her shoulder, taking one hand to rub her back and giving her the space to let all the bottled emotions up. Really, the Doctor didn’t understand what any of that was like. To her - and to most other Time Lords too - gender was null and void when it came to forming relationships. It had to be, for a race that could change gender likely at random. It didn’t factor into her attractions at all, it never had done. She liked who she liked and that was that. But, with all her time spent on Earth and around humans, it didn’t mean that she couldn’t empathise with it. How hard it must feel, to go against convention, that she knew.

“It’s okay Yaz. I promise, it’s okay.”

She hushed and shushed her gently, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as she started to feel Yaz’s breathing come to a more manageable rate. It still took several moments before she pulled herself out of the hug, eyes red and puffy, heaving a very weary sigh.

“I’m sorry…”

The Doctor shook her head slowly.

“You don't have to be sorry for anything, Yaz. You’re allowed to feel things, and what you’re feeling is okay. I know it’s probably no consolation, but in another decade or two, you humans will actually be able to deal with this whole identity thing so much better. Sure, there’s always gonna be the odd one or two, but you get there as a whole. No more name calling, no more disbelief.”

The Doctor recognises the soft and quiet pleading in Yaz’s eyes as she tries to take in what she’s saying, almost willing her to prove her point. Not that she knew how, all she had was brief bits of knowledge of the twenty-first century. Still, with a warm smile, the Doctor pressed on.

“Just because you like me, who at least to the outside world is a woman...that doesn’t make your identity change. Yaz, if you say that you’re bi, well...then you are. Nobody can tell you otherwise, because it’s none of their business. I promise you, your identity is still valid no matter who you’re with. Man, woman, whoever you choose. Though, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t glad it was me. Because I think you’re bloody brilliant.”

Soft smile soon became a wide grin, and the Doctor couldn’t help but laugh to herself when Yaz finally started to smile again. She watched her open her arms out and invite her in, which the Doctor gladly accepted. Anything to keep her Yaz feeling safe and loved. After some shuffling around, the two curled up together on the sofa, just content to be in each other's company.

“Thank you Doctor.”

“Always.”

* * *

9 - Jealousy

Jealousy - a suspicious or reactive emotion referring to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and a concern over a lack of possessions or safety. Part of the complex wheel of emotions known to those with a certain level of cognitive functions. The Doctor knew all too well what the definition and the science was behind the feeling. She knew the nitty gritty about a lot of things, it was just her way of living. Still, that didn’t mean she accepted all of it. She certainly didn’t accept this. How could she? Jealousy was one of the most pointless of emotions in the whole of the brain's creation and yet there she was, feeling it boil in her blood and setting her teeth on edge. She felt it burning all through her body, setting her hearts racing as she clenched her fists close to the sides of her coat. For something that was void of worth, the Doctor was losing herself to the sensations rapidly. Not like she could do anything to stop it now, either, it was far too late. All it had taken was a split second to turn around where she had been avoiding. All she had to do was ignore her own thoughts, but no. She indulged them. By the stars, she hated it.

She had nothing to be suspicious of, nothing to be reactive over, and she certainly didn’t have anything to be scared or concerned over. Right? Jealousy was like envy, it related to ownership - or a lack thereof - and she didn’t own anything. Or...anyone...The Doctor knew it would pass eventually but she wanted to scream and shout and maybe break some glasses or a chair or something. Jealousy was a pointless emotion, and yet she could never escape it. It felt as if all her other feelings had fallen into the abyss or had been locked in some tiny cage, giving the jealousy all the room in the world to run rampant inside her head.

It hurt, so much, but what could she do?

They were scoping the town for a shapeshifting alien from another planet - she couldn’t even remember which one or what species exactly - and she had tasked her fam to talk to the locals and try to suss out anyone who didn’t really ‘fit in’ besides them. Someone who was just a little off with their local knowledge, things like that. Ryan and Graham had gone off together and were assessing the local fishermen and the stand owners by the docks. Basically, wherever there was a chance of getting either a bite to eat or some scenery that wasn’t dusty old buildings and tumbleweeds. The Doctor knew Yaz would be more than up to the task, and let her go off on her own devices. She was a police officer, trained in the art of interrogation and subterfuge. Or, that was how she saw it anyway. Whatever skillset Yaz had, it was good enough for her to trust her. Except, she wished she hadn’t. Yaz was getting on a little too well with the locals, laughing a little too much with them, and certainly paying no mind to how often they would touch her shoulder or her arm or god forbid the one that hugged her for half a second more than the cultural norms. Not that the Doctor had been looking. Or counting.

Unluckily for the Doctor, Yaz turned around mid conversation and clearly saw the pained look on her face. In an attempt to avoid whatever was coming her way, the Doctor spun on her heels and walked back towards the TARDIS. The absolutely massive alien threat could wait. No doubt because the biggest threat at that moment in time was her, herself. The Doctor opened the doors with a snap of her fingers and got one foot over the threshold before she heard her name, flinched hard, and paused.

“Doctor? Where are you going?”

_ ‘Don’t respond, don’t talk back, don’t do anything at-’ _

“Away from you.”

_ ‘FOR CRYING OUT LOUD YOU ABSOLUTE MESS OF A-’ _

“What? Why?”

There was a loud pop from her jaw at the sheer amount of pressure the Doctor was putting on her teeth, eyes glaring daggers as she turned around and squared up to Yaz in the most volatile display of emotions she had ever allowed her companions to see.

“Because, Yasmin.”

Why did she have to use her full name like that?

“I don’t have to stand around and watch while you cavort with the locals. I don’t have to stand here and watch how you just...gel with them. I don’t have to stand here and see you encourage them to break their own cultural boundaries of distance just because you’re so...so...inviting. I do not have to stand here and watch you completely disregard me.”

All the Doctor saw was Yaz’s mouth drop and her body grow stiff and cold, before she turned again and marched into the TARDIS. She shut the doors with a thunderous clap of her hands, stormed past the console until she made it halfway up the steps before stopping dead in her tracks. The once golden lights around her were growing darker, changing to red, honing in on her. She could feel the TARDIS practically screaming inside her head - alongside all her other thoughts - berating and cursing her. Really, the Doctor deserved it, she knew she did. And yet...it just served to make her even more frustrated and on edge.

“What the hell do you know? You’re just a bloody box! You wouldn’t know anything about this!”

Now she was picking a fight with her own ship. Which, in retrospect, was a terrible idea.

An ear-splitting wail sounded throughout the console room, the Doctor stumbling and dropping down to her knees on the stairs as her hands flew up to her ears to try and block the noise. But it wasn’t physical noise...it was mental. Thousands upon thousands of twisted sounds rang around inside her head as tears started to tumble from the Doctor’s eyes from the pain of it all.

_ ‘Never pick a fight with a telepathic entity.’ _

“I’M SORRY!”

The Doctor screamed, hands balling into fists against the stairs as she choked back a sob and all the noises finally stopped.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so scared of losing her. I’m so scared of losing Yaz like I’ve lost everyone else. I’m scared I’ll never be anything that she wants, or needs, and that something is going to take her away from me before I’m ready. I’m scared that she’s not going to stay because I’m a woman. Because I’m an alien. Because no matter what I do, I cannot give her the life she deserves. She will always be in danger because of me. I can’t keep her safe. I just want to keep her safe…”

As the Doctor aired her thoughts, she didn’t hear the doors of the TARDIS slowly opening behind her. She didn’t hear the sound of footsteps against the metal, slowly growing louder. She didn’t feel a presence standing behind her as she cried with her head pressed onto the nearest step. And she didn’t feel two arms wrapping around her shoulders, pulling her in as she continued to choke out tears.

* * *

10 - Misunderstanding

She hadn’t meant to start an argument, far from it. It had just sort of...happened. And as much as she tried to stop it, she couldn’t. She had been biting her tongue on the matter for so long, and no matter what she did, she couldn’t let it lie. Except all she had done was push Yaz. Push her away. Leaving her all alone on the TARDIS. Not wanting to wallow in her misery for much longer, the Doctor bounced up off the step, dried her eyes and hopped on over to the console. She fully intended to go somewhere - anywhere - except when her hand came down on one of the switches, nothing happened. She tried again, and again, but each time she was met with the same stillness and quiet. She looked up to the ceiling, eyes narrowing briefly as the TARDIS hummed and beeped at her. Of course she was grounding her. With a heavy sigh, the Doctor slumped against the console, looking at the central crystalline column with eyes threatening to spill more tears.

“I can’t go talk to her...not yet...she probably doesn’t want to see me anyway. I wouldn’t blame her...oh Yaz, I made such a mess of things..”

Screwing her eyes shut, the Doctor took in a slow shaking breath before she felt the familiar push and pull in her mind. She felt it, listened to it, opened her eyes again with a glance towards the doors. It was entirely possible that he was in, it wasn’t a weekend after all. But, could she really burden him with her troubles?

_ ‘Yes.’ _

A single word glowed inside her mind and she couldn't help but smile at the image it produced. Gathering herself up, the Doctor patted the cold metal of the console and sharply exalted through her nose.

“You’re too good to me, you know that? How do you put up with such an idiot all the time?”

As she finished talking, the doors opened out onto the streets of Sheffield, and the Doctor pulled up her hood to take on the wild weather outside. Clearly, she was being punished, and she rightly deserved to be drowned in a torrential downpour. Hiding her hands in the pockets of her coat, the Doctor strode outside and started her journey through the back streets and alleyways she had mapped out so many times before. There was always a method to the madness of how the TARDIS parked, and soon enough she was looking up the steps towards a black door. Sure, it was only two steps up, and the door was answered quickly, but the Doctor still looked like a drowned rat as water ran from the top of her hood and streaked down her face.

“Bloody ‘ell, Doc. What on earth are you doin’ out in this?! Come inside before you catch a bleedin’ cold or something.”

“Thanks Graham…”

Slinking inside and flinching a little as the door closed behind her, the Doctor slipped out of her coat and hung it up on the hooks near the stairs before sliding into the living room. She stood around awkwardly - almost as if she had never been in Graham’s house before - before Graham shuffled over to the sofa and patted the space next to him. Eventually, the Doctor sat down, but she didn’t look at him for the longest time.

“Not like you to be out in the rain by yourself. Especially without-”

“Don’t.”

The Doctor let out a long sigh after she bit out her words far more harshly than she intended, something that was becoming a theme of the day. Her hands balled into fists against her legs as she tried to straighten out the tension burning her shoulders. When she looked over at Graham, she could see the clear confusion in his eyes.

“Sorry. Bad day. Really bad day. Awful day. Possibly the worst day on record. Well, at least in this body. And yes, that is me including the whole ‘oh, you’re the last one of your kind. Again.’ business. That’s not a patch on this...no, it’s really not.”

“Blimey. Well...there’s just me in. Ryan’s hanging out with his little squad again, gaming night or something like that. So...why don’t you start from the beginning.”

For a few moments, all the Doctor did was chew on her bottom lip to the point of the skin cracking and spotting with blood, before she responded.

“It’s Yaz. We were talking and then...then we weren’t talking. We were arguing. Well, I think I was. I don’t think I even gave her a chance to get a word in herself. It’s so stupid, Graham. I’m so stupid. I completely got the wrong idea of what she was going for and I just...god, I just lost it. I hate myself so much for it, she didn’t deserve me joining in with all the people telling her she’s not right, or she’s got the wrong idea of herself, or...or…”

Before she could carry on her ramble with arms flying in all directions, Graham took hold of one of her arms and gently lowered it back down into her lap. She quickly shut her mouth then, muttering another apology before she watched him shake his head.

“Quit with the sorrys. What exactly happened, because you still haven’t said.”

“I told Yaz that she only likes me because I’m a woman.”

The room fell silent then, as the weight of the Doctor’s confession settled between the two of them.

“Ah.”

“Yeah.”

Graham shuffled on the sofa, rubbing the underside of his chin with one hand as the Doctor vacantly stared off into the distance.

“And...this is a problem...because?”

That got the Doctor’s attention. She opened her mouth to respond, closed it again sharply, clearly the cogs in her brain working a thousand miles a minute.

“Because, I’m not one. I mean, I am, to you lot, but also I’m really not. I’m just...me. Time Lords don’t do gender. When your gender is a lottery every regeneration - more or less - then you just don’t care about it. I don’t see gender in anyone else either. Like, you’re just Graham. I don’t see you as a bloke, or a man, or whatever you want to call it. Same with Yaz, I don’t see her as a woman. She’s just Yaz. And just Yaz is who I lo-...I...I care about a lot. So...by that definition...I don’t fit into her realms of attraction like she does with me.”

“This is the whole...um, what's it called again? I heard about this off...Ah! No, I get it. This is this whole bi or pan thing, yeah?”

Tilting her head a little to the side, the Doctor raised her eyebrows.

“What’s this got to do with cooking equipment?”

That, at least, made Graham smile and laugh quietly.

“Not pans, you muppet. Pan. It’s one of those label things people use to describe themselves. Like, me and Yaz are bi. Got something for both men and women. But, from the sounds of it, you’re the other one that kinda is and kinda isn’t in the same ballpark. The one where someone’s gender doesn’t really factor into the whole attraction thing.”

“Wait, are we in that century? This is where Jack got it from? Well, kind of. He’s got a whole other word for it but it sounds about the same thing. What’re you getting at, Graham?”

Placing his hand on the Doctor’s shoulder, he kept smiling as he gently squeezed the slightly damp fabric.

“Crossed wires. Two stubborn mules. Well, I guess you’re the stubborn mule. You still fall into each other's type of attraction. You don’t care who Yaz is, so you love her for that. Yaz loves you for you too, it just comes with the added bonus of your looks and stuff falling into her parameters of attraction. That doesn’t mean she loves you because you’re a woman, it just helps. You see where I’m going with this? Either way, you two really are a right pair.”

Again, the Doctor sat in silence as she carefully mulled over and picked apart Graham’s words. Eventually, she started to smile too.

“I think I do get it. And yeah...we really are...that’s why I love her.”

* * *

11 - Threats

Yaz couldn’t remember the last time she had had a quiet day at home with the Doctor. Mostly her time at home was spent recovering from hectic days at work, followed by offworld escapades and adventures. Not that she minded really, but the change of space was certainly welcomed. There was something just a little too nice about walking around Sheffield with the Doctor. Her mum had sent both of them out to do the weekly shop, with a stop off at the local halal butchers for some meat for her dad to use that evening to make one of his over-enthusiastic curries for all of them. They both had two shopping bags on their outer arms, while they held hands. Really, Yaz had been very hesitant to just the simplest of gestures like that, although the Doctor had no qualms about a hand hold. It was the most uninvited touch she would gladly accept without some kind of warning and she mostly instigated it. It made Yaz feel special, the more she thought about it. It was the most simple of things but it felt like the most deeply meaningful and important one.

Sadly, her little bubble burst quickly.

As they walked through the city centre, she could hear some sniggering coming from her left. Her eyes drifted over slowly, catching sight of a group of teenagers waiting at the tram stop. While a part of her automatically assumed it was about her - years of bullying had left her with a sixth sense for it, almost - she rationalised that maybe they were just laughing at some internet meme or an in joke they had. Oh, how wrong she was. Really, there was barely any time between the snickering and what came next, but Yaz swore she felt time stop around her.

“Oi oi, lezzos. Show us a lil action, yeah?”

Hissing through gritted teeth, Yaz tried to completely leave their field of vision, but the Doctor slowed down to an almost crawl and it pained her. She wanted to tell her to move, to ignore them, but she just couldn't find the strength to open her mouth. It wasn’t the first time she had heard that word, and completely been disregarded for her actual identity, but it still hurt all the same.

“Are they on about us?”

“Doctor, just...walk. Please.”

That didn’t happen. The gang of youths - three boys and one girl - took full advantage of their pausing and started to wolf whistle. Yaz couldn’t help but flinch, slowly withdrawing in on herself. She knew that they were still hurling insults, but the ringing in her ears was drowning them out. Everything was getting fuzzy. She could feel her blood turning to ice, sending spikes of pain through her body as she tensed up on the spot and fell back into memories she had thought she had completely moved past.

_ She could see the yard of her secondary school, a spot near the back of the gym, where she had been cornered. Girls flanked all sides, blocking her two exits. How could she have taken on all six of them like that? She couldn’t even remember exactly what they had said to her - shouted at her rather - all Yaz remembered was the feeling of rocks, and kicks and punches. She was a disgrace to her religion. A predator. Someone who shouldn’t exist. Boy, she really didn’t want to exist then. If it wasn’t for her missing the afternoon assembly, she would never have been found at the back of the gym. That was when her mum and dad took both her and Sonya out of one school, and put them into another. The whole ordeal was never really spoken of, but needless to say, Yaz never really got over it and did some terribly stupid things off the back of it. _

When she finally came around, Yaz realised she was standing on her own. She looked around herself frantically, shouting wordlessly as she saw the Doctor opposing the gang of teenagers. Except...they were leaving. She could see them throwing their arms in clear frustration, but she was still too lost in her own head to hear what they were saying. Whatever it was, it wasn’t phasing the Doctor, who simply waved them goodbye before walking over towards her with a frown.

“Yaz? Yaz, are you alright?”

“Wh-what…what just…”

Her throat was dry, and it stung, but she still tried to speak. With the tram stop now clear, the Doctor ushered over to take a seat on the bench and sat down beside her, gently rubbing circles against her back.

“Kids being kids. They said something about ‘cleaning up our mess’, so I went off on a lecture. I don’t like bullies. Especially ones that like to use such low blows. I mean, one of them tried to come at me. Only just about missed me too. Sharp right hook on him. Nothing a little paralysis didn't fix. Still, all bark and no bite. Figures. I just told them about how the Romans and the Greeks really didn’t care for any of the current day conventions of sexuality and I would have gotten to telling them the state I saw Plato in one time but they must’ve gotten fed up with me by that point. I wasn’t gonna tell them anything graphic, but I think Plato had a thing for me last time I saw him...that wasn’t the most awkward thing ever. Anyway, rambling. Sorry. Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. This isn’t the first time this has happened to you, is it?”

Yaz shook her head slowly, eyes still wide and heart still racing as the Doctor wrapped one arm around her shoulders and urged her to come in closer.

“I’m so sorry Yaz. I really am. I don’t understand why people have to be so weird with it all. It’s not like anyone’s getting hurt. Well, except their brains. Hopefully they’ll be thinking about Plato for a while yet. I’ll always make sure you’re safe. Nothing’s going to happen to you, it’s okay. They’re gone. It’s just us now. Do you want to go the quick way home?”

“Y-yes please.”

Still shaken, Yaz eventually stood up from the bench with help from the Doctor and practically clung to her on the way home. As they made their way through the streets, she cracked, and couldn’t stop herself from talking.

“It was Izzy...that’s why...that’s why I’m so bad, Doctor.”

* * *

12 - Injury

There was no way she was going to let it happen. The moment had played out right before her, a timeline that was so close to becoming concrete. But she wasn’t going to let her slip away, she wasn’t about to lose someone else. Not again. It had taken all of her strength to push Yaz out of the way, a fraction of a second to use her sonic to close the metal doors and seal herself inside with the coming explosion. What was that, compared to a sonic mine? Quite a lot worse. Legitimately life threatening. But, she had had a good run. A better run than most of her other lives. Short, really, much like her ninth. But that was okay, she could come to terms with that later. Or, whoever she was going to be. They could deal with it later. At least this time, she didn’t have to have someone see her go through it all. Yaz deserved better, she was better than whatever “heroes death” she was trying to go for. Yaz could make a difference in the world. She...she was just someone who interfered.

As the smoke cleared, and a thunderous crash echoed throughout the hallway, Yaz coughed through several plumes of thick black smoke. The ground was still quaking, small pieces of tile and metal dropping from the ceiling above as she tried to find her bearing amidst all the confusion and chaos. Ryan and Graham would be looking for them, surely. Why was she still breathing? Hands scrambled against the bare stone walls as she stood, arms waving wildly soon after to clear the air around her. She had set off the timer, so why was she-

“Doctor?”

She tried to call her name between coughs, feeling the smog sticking to her lungs and making her eyes water. She slowly moved forward, until her hands came over something cold and smooth. Something that wasn’t there before. As some of the smoke cleared away, Yaz squinted in the low light and saw flecks of light bouncing off whatever was in front of her. Metal. There was a seam too. That really wasn’t there before, she had been looking right at the detonator. So, where was it? Smoothing her hands down, running her fingertips over indents and rivets, something finally clicked inside her head. A door. Sort of. Or some kind of protective metal divider.

“Doctor?!”

Yaz called out again, louder this time, the words tearing out of her throat and making her hack and wheeze. She had been right there. She had told her how to set everything up. She had…

No.

As her mind slowly came around again, she saw it then, playing back inside her head like a movie. The Doctor had twisted her away from the controls and practically launched her across the room. When her back had hit the wall, sending her tumbling to the ground, she had seen a flash of golden light before everything turned into a mess. 

“DOCTOR?!”

Fists came and collided with the metal, doing nothing but adding to the cacophony of noise inside her head. No matter how hard she hit, no matter how hard she screamed, nothing changed. Yaz could feel the burning pain in her knuckles, felt her skin crack and blood seep down her skin and dribble onto the floor, but it didn’t change a thing. She needed to get through. She needed to see the Doctor. There was no way she was going to leave without her. Time passed on and the smoke began to dissipate, but still the obstacle in her path ceased to move. Yaz could feel her strength fading away rapidly, and she dropped to her knees with a crack and a thud, hands broken and bloodied as she yelled and cried and wailed. How could she have been so stupid? What was with the Doctor constantly disallowing her her own sense of free will? Yaz knew what she was doing, if she was ever going to have a say in how she died then she knew damn well it was going to be saving the life of someone else. Anyone. Not just those she cared about. She would die for random strangers if the need arose, it didn’t matter to her. Her life could be given to countless others.

_ ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid.’ _

As the barrage of self deprecating thoughts came, Yaz started and tumbled back slightly as she felt the ground quake again. In fact, the whole space around her did. She stared in disbelief as the metal slowly started to prise apart, more debris from the ceiling falling down as another hard wave of smoke flooded the narrow hallway. She coughed and spat, lifting an arm to her mouth and nose to try and stop the onslaught as she began to crawl forwards. With only one hand to keep her stable, and only the faintest flash of memory of the room she was going into, Yaz found it terribly difficult trying to imagine where exactly she was. Although, after a few seconds, she didn’t need to. Her hand was no longer moving against tiles, but something wet. Not just wet, tacky. She could feel bits of wall and metal under her fingers, but that didn’t detract from what she knew was underneath her. She reached out into the dark, only a flickering light giving her any sense of direction, until she hit something else.

“D-doc-doctor?”

As her hand shifted up further, she could feel fabric, then something soft. It had to be her. Shuffling through the pool of blood underneath her knees, she squeezed in as close as she could before taking a deep breath and waving her arms around wildly. She tried to dissipate the smoke as best she could, just so she could see what was in front of her. Not that she wanted to - she needed to.

“D-Doc-”

No, she really didn’t want to see what she saw.

In between the deep cuts, the blood and the rubble, was indeed the Doctor. She was in a crumpled heap on the ground, eyes closed, sonic still held tightly in her hands. If it weren’t for the orange-red clinging to her face, Yaz would have said she looked peaceful. With her heart pounding in her chest and ears ringing somehow louder than before, she moved further still until she was behind the Doctor’s head. Arms under her shoulders and grabbing hold of her body, Yaz started to crawl backwards and pull her along with her. It was slow, painful, held up by parts of the Doctor’s tattered coat being stuck to metal bars or broken wall fragments. She could feel the blood seeping into her jeans, her shirt, tarnishing her own body. But she wasn’t going to leave her there. Not how she was. She tried to ignore the fact that there was no trace of a golden glow - the regeneration energy she had talked a little about - and push all negative thoughts out of her mind. She was going to be okay. All she had to do was get her to the TARDIS.

“Don’t you dare...don’t you dare die on me now, Doctor. Not yet. Not now. I won’t let you die. Please don’t leave me...please.”

By the time she had dragged the Doctor out of the broken room, Yaz was beyond exhausted. She had to drop her down, feel the tears running down her cheeks and try to summon more energy to move her. There was no way she was going to let her-

“Y...Y-Yaz?”

* * *

13 - Alone

The universe expanded beyond even her comprehension, so vast and seemingly endless it was that it was no wonder really that she felt like she did. There were other contributing factors to be sure - she was the last Time Lord, yet again - but not even her seemingly endless optimism could bring her comfort. No matter how much space she explored, no matter how many different planets she visited, it still remained. Creeping through her blood, into her mind, in her hearts. It grew so slowly and so little each day, that she barely ever noticed it. Lifetime after lifetime, the feeling persisted, forever being bogged down by the weight of discovery and exploration. That was, until the quiet days came. The slow days. The days where nothing really seemed to happen at all. The days where space really was endless, and uninteresting, and a little too much to bear. Days where he, she, they - it came across all lives - would feel the icy touch of something they had tried to bury under so much. A feeling that would creep and crawl and worm its way into their brain and settle in there without pause. Without a fight. After all, how could she fight it? It was part of her, and always had been, but the recent events had only served to exacerbate it and make it grow wild and untameable.

The Doctor always was, always would be, alone.

They had come into the world alone, and each time they died alone. It was a constant state of the universe, a fact almost, no matter how much she tried to pretend otherwise.

On the days where there was nothing but silence in the TARDIS, on the days where the rooms were not filled with the sound of people, she would feel it. No, not feel it. It would consume her. There was no escaping it. Once the creep and crawl had settled, came the typhoon. The tsunami. The crash and crack of waves and waves of...how could she even begin to describe the feeling? The darkness settled in her throat and choked her out, made it impossible to talk. It was as if she was drowning in nothingness, felt the weight of it all pushing down on her like the twisted games of gravity. She could feel it dragging her under, beneath the darkness, and yet she could also see it happen from an outside perspective. She was trapped in her own sense of self, looking out and looking in at the same time, wordlessly begging for it to end her quickly. But it never did. There was no fun in a quick death, the universe had shown her that plain as day and night. It revelled in the long haul, the slow game, the thrill of the hunt. The Time Lords may have considered themselves Gods above all else, but the Doctor was nothing but hapless prey to the whims of outside and unknown forces far beyond her control.

Time was relative, so was pain. Life. What did any of it matter?

The Doctor had seen so many lives - not just their own - but those of people they cared about. The people who looked at the dark and twisted and broken underbelly they shielded away and tried to hide, and covered over some of the cracks. But, like everything, it was just temporary, and all their attempts and smoothing them over just made more and more cracks form in the long run. It didn’t matter who, or what, or when. The universe had dictated that the Doctor was meant to be alone, and it took great pleasure in taking every little glimmer of love and hope and safety away from them. Nothing could stay, except the constant loom of darkness and emptiness and nothing. Even a black hole, a thing completely void of all hope, had more chance of staying whole than the Doctor did. Had more chance of keeping hold of something - anything. Anything at all. All the Doctor knew was loss, and pain. Alone.

Just alone.

Love was fleeting, love was blind, love tried to fight the darkness off with fire and flame and warm and hope. Love always died. Love always left. Love would never stay long enough than to make a temporary dink and then fade away into the endless void. And yet, that never stopped the Doctor from trying. Oh, how they tried. Over so many lifetimes they had tried so many ways to keep the love alive. To keep it burning. To keep it there to stave off the darkness. But how could someone who had loved, and lost, and hurt as much as them, ever find solace? There was no solace to be had in the darkness. In being alone. Anyone who thought that was a misguided fool. The universe created so much and kept it all so close together, and so far too, always just a hair's breadth out of reach. It goaded everyone and everything to find togetherness somehow. The lowest hanging fruit, above the endless abyss, tempting in all. Leaving nobody behind. Just shadows. Echos. Remnants.

At night the Doctor could see them all - feel them, if she tried hard enough - but there was nothing left to fill the gaps anymore. Everything she touched did not turn to gold, it became smoke and ash and burning. So much burning. Burning followed her everywhere, like a bad omen, a warning sign for her to never try and get close to anyone or anything because it just ended in being alone again, every single time. There was no disputing the fact, it just was. Alone. Alone. So lonely. Always alone. The word haunted her just as much as all the pain and the loss and the grieving did. Again, the universe was not subtle in reminding them of their constant state. Alone was where they were meant to be, nothing could change that.

“Doctor?”

She didn’t move, not at the sound of a familiar voice, certainly not when a soft hand came across blushed cheeks and wiped away the stream of endless tears that just seemed to be a thing she had forgotten about. Vacant eyes stared out into the abyss of space before her, legs dangling into unknown as the constant blackness enveloped her both inside and out. She would go on for as long as time and space did, and would continue to do so whether she wanted to or not. The Doctor - cursed to go on forever. Always alone.

“I don’t want to be alone anymore…”

Another crack in her armour, in her voice, as she curled in on herself and buried deep within the waiting warmth of another. Not even that could thaw the cold that was so deeply rooted in her body. Not even that could make her feel anything other than so very lost and alone.

“You won’t ever be alone...I promise.”

_ Promise. _

Oh, the Doctor lamented, if only you could speak that into existence, Yaz.

* * *

14 - Heartbreak

Yaz didn’t know why she was nervous. Well, she did, it was clear as day. It wasn’t a normal occurrence for her to get invited out somewhere, never mind by someone she sort of very high key liked. It was just before the school dance, an end of year celebration she had been dreading completely. If only because she hated formal settings, and it meant that her mum would drag out her traditional dress and it was more than likely going to incite a few comments. She had spent the whole of the day before panicking to herself, pacing her room, trying to work out why someone wanted to meet up with her. Especially Hannah. It still didn’t make sense. She was one of the most popular girls in her class, even Sonya was fawning over her. Although, for an entirely different reason. She was in the top bracket academically, did work for the local community, literally everything Yaz aspired to be. She was perfect. Too perfect, almost. Still, she had slid her a note at the end of maths class telling her to be at the park on Sunday.

With the school year coming to a close, and Yaz very much set on joining an academy and becoming a cadet, it was her only shot at ever talking to her. Not just that, but also telling her how she felt. The amount of times they locked eyes couldn’t be a coincidence, she reasoned. Hannah would often smile at her in the hallways - although, again they never really talked - or turn to listen to her when she answered questions in class. Maybe, just maybe, she had a chance. They were both from Muslim families, which made it all the more harder for her to gauge if anyone was...it was no secret to Yaz’s school that she was bisexual. While she never explicitly outed herself, trails from her old school had made it over and not necessarily haunted her, but followed just enough that she didn’t have to. The bullying was less severe, and it wasn’t as if she was the only person who had a different identity in her year. Chris was gay, and so was Leyton. She was sure that Beth and Elise were an item as well.

When it finally came to half three, Yaz slid into her jacket and quietly made her escape from her flat. She didn’t want her parents to know she was being social. She had told Sonya, and somehow she had kept her mouth shut over the whole thing. Perhaps she finally clocked on to the relevance of the situation. Either way, with keys in hand, she slipped out of the flat and started a brisk walk. The park wasn’t too far from her flats, but it still meant she needed to move quickly to get there in time. Hands nervously fidgeted inside her pockets as she couldn’t get her mind to stop racing.

_ ‘Listen, Hannah. I. I really...I kinda just...do you wanna maybe...if you’re not doing anything else, do you wanna...ugh!’ _

Crushes were awful.

So paranoid was she of being seen, Yaz couldn’t help but look at everyone who passed by her. God forbid anyone saw her hanging out with Hannah. She couldn’t bear the thought. Despite all of her thoughts constantly turning around about how she was going to ask her out. She had wanted to do it for months, but was too scared and ashamed to. It was her only chance. By the time she made it to the park, Yaz paused. She couldn’t see Hannah anywhere. Part of her wanted to walk around and see if maybe she had just missed her or something, but another told her to stay put. So, she found the closest bench to the park entrance and sat herself down. Sitting didn’t help her nerves at all, so she pulled out her phone and booted up one of the puzzle games she had downloaded for a distraction.

She waited. Waited. Waited.

Half an hour had passed, and at least her mind had settled down. Just before she completed a level of her game, she heard a voice. It was Hannah’s. When Yaz looked up, however, she wished she hadn’t. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, like time was deliberately making a mockery of her. She was stupid to ever even think she had a chance. Hannah was arm in arm with a boy - Raheel - and said goodbye to him. Not just that, though, he took her by the waist and kissed her. Not just a kiss, a long one, one that really did just go on that little bit too long to drive the nail in her chest home. Again, she said goodbye, and that was as much as Yaz could stomach. She ran. It didn’t matter at all if Hannah saw her running away, anything was better than staying, seeing the girl she wanted in the arms of someone else.

Yaz felt sick to her stomach, bile rising in her throat as she ran through the park and tried her best not to let the tears fall. She didn’t care that everyone around her probably thought she looked like a lunatic, all she wanted was to be home. Sadly, her lungs and legs gave out quicker than she had hoped for, and Yaz quickly turned behind a group of trees. She dropped to the floor, curling in on herself as she let the stinging and bitter tears fall. Crying silently was her forte, she had done it for years now, and the trees provided a mix of soundproofing and protection from strangers. How could she have ever thought she would get someone like hannah. Smart, beautiful, skilled, just the most wonderful person she had ever met. Of course, nobody like Yasmin Khan could ever have hoped for someone so amazing to ever like her back. She was nothing, a nobody, a disgrace to her family and to everyone she knew. She didn’t deserve to be happy - Izzy Flint had been right.

It wasn’t the first time in her life she bhad either been too stupid, or too late, and Yaz grew used to that feeling well into her teenage years and up until her twenties were sooh to begin. Even in the arms of the Doctor, she knew that it would never mean anything. It would never last. Heartbreak was all she knew.


	3. Week Three - Alternate Universes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another seven prompts revolving around the varied world of Alternate Universes~  
> Fairytale, roleswap, soulmates, monster, burlesque, florist, arranged marriage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm throwing this up ridiculously early because time is a construct  
> Also I need to cheer myself up really badly so
> 
> Welcome to the AU week~
> 
> Fairytale AU: 13 & Yaz  
> Roleswap AU: Whittaker!Master & Alt!Yaz, a smidge spicy  
> Soulmates AU: 13 & Yaz, OC  
> Monster AU: 13 & Yaz, mentions Ryan & Graham briefly  
> Burlesque AU: 13 & Yaz, featuring River, Rose, Missy & Clara  
> Florist AU: 13 & Yaz, mentions Bill  
> Arranged Marriage AU: 13 & Yaz, featuring Najia, Hakim, OCs

15 - Fairytale AU

Never go out into the forest at night, she had been told. The night is when the Fae come into their own, she was told. Except, that was all well and good, until she heard noises outside her window. A scraping of hooves, a whinny. Her family didn’t own a horse, they were far too poor to be able to afford one, and Yasmin only knew they existed when merchants came past their cottage. Perhaps one had escaped from the farm. Although, it was quite a way down the road. Still, she dragged herself as quietly as she could out of bed, and padded to her window. Peeling the curtain to one side, she looked through the glass. While at first, she could only see the night itself, she swore she saw something moving. Again, Yasmin heard the sound of hooves against stone, and that was enough to pique her curiosity. In nightgown and socks, she slid out of her room and tiptoed through the hallway. It was advantageous, in that moment, that her and her sister had the lower room that was close to the back door. Yasmin cursed as the door squeaked on its hinges as she lifted the blot, and paused for a moment. Thankfully, there was no noise that followed, and she was free to wander into the garden.

She came to the back row of hedges and opened the garden gate. It was only a few steps before she made it to the road that ran behind her house. She looked around the area, eyes slowly becoming accustomed to the dark, before she finally saw it. If it hadn’t been for a large pair of golden eyes staring back at her, Yasmin swore she never would have seen the creature. A few steps away, stood a magnificent horse. As the moon came out from between the clouds, she could see that the horse had an incredibly long mane and tail. Between that and the golden eyes, it was quite the sight. However, Yasmin had never seen a black horse before, and found herself at a loss of what to do. So, she just stood, and as time passed the horse slowly lowered itself on the ground as if it were about to sleep.

There was something about the creature's calm nature that incticed her over. Yasmin carefully crept through the grass, onto the road, lowering herself down as she moved. Eventually, she came face to face with the horse, eying it curiously.

“Are you lost, friend?”

Why she expected a horse to acknowledge her presence, she did not know, but curiously - it did. The horse turned its face towards her, eyes still striking and bold, but somehow gentle. Nose outstretched, it took two great huffs of air in and blew them back out at her, something that made Yasmin smile. She reached out and touched its nose, marvelling at how soft its hair was under her hand, slowly moving up and into its mane.

“You cannot stay here, you must go home.”

“Why, are you afraid of the night, dear girl?”

Yasmin blinked, and her hand was no longer atop the head of a horse. No. It was on something else. She scrambled backwards in fear, finding herself unable to yell despite her open mouth. Where the horse had been, she saw...well, she didn’t quite know what she saw. While the golden eyes remained, she could make out antlers. Pointed, furry ears. The strange new creature rose up, and more became known. While the creature had the eyes and nose of a human, its legs were of a goat. Fur covered all of its body, thinning around the face, but it was still as dark as the night sky itself.

“Are you, perchance, afraid of me?”

It’s voice sounded soft, but still held a strange and unknown twist. It was unlike anything Yasmin had heard before. Although, the softness reminded her of a woman, in some ways. So did the small build and shorter stature. Finally gathering her wits about her, Yasmin stood up and slowly shook her head. She could not say why, but she did not fee fear when looking at the creature.

“N-no...I do not think I am.”

At that, the creature skipped over. Yasmin flinched at how close it got, and once more as if flashed a row of white pointed teeth at her.

“If you are not afraid, then tell me your name, dear girl.”

That gave her pause. Yasmin knew the tales of the Fair Folk, how they would trick the unwitty by taking their names. Her mother had warned her never to give her name to a stranger, lest they give her theirs first. Again, she shook her head.

“I shall not. Not until you say yours first.”

Again, the creature flashed a sharp gin, and seemed to excitedly jump around her.

“Oh, you are a smart girl. Clever girl. I have many names, you see. Some which I have stolen, some which I have acquired, and some that just feel pleasing to my tongue and to my heart. I am as wild as a River, and coy as a Rose. I can be as helpful as a Doctor, or stray you just the same. I am one with the Stars and the Moon and the night. I am lucky, and not, carrying the superstitions of Thirteen. You may take any of them as you see fit, I answer to everything and nothing equally.”

“So...you are a Fae then?”

The creature nodded, finally pausing in their movements to take a very low bow. Long hair fell between the antlers of the Fae, hiding their face briefly before they bobbed back up again and mischief twinkled in their eyes.

“Oh, my naive child. I am so much more. Will you listen to the worldly wisdom I have to bestow upon you? The night grows fainter with every passing moment, and you may never see me again after now. I am not the kind to whisk you away into the forest, to take you to the Courts or leave you in harm's way. I simply wish to tell stories, impart wide words. I may also divulge a prophecy or two. Do my words entice you? Will you sit with me, under the moon, and see the world as I do?”

Yasmin mulled over the words, feeling a chill creep into her back. She should go back to bed, pretend nothing had happened, and yet she didn’t want to. She watched as the creature sat down on the road again, eyes fixated on her. The more she stared, the more one of the words the Fae had spoken stuck in her mind. Slowly, she sat down too.

“Tell me what you know, Doctor.”

* * *

16 - Roleswap AU

She had been plotting the whole ordeal for months now. Every little detail, to the last letter and dot. She had hopped across multiple planes, crossed over herself more times than she could count, all to feed them. To make them stronger. To prepare them for what was about to become. Her greatest triumph. Worlds were going to fall at her feet, people would scream her name as she watched them become nothing but dust under her boot. The angels were ready. Hundreds and thousands of them covered the face of the planet, waiting in the darkness for their time to come. Oh, she had prepared every last detail, and yet something still felt wrong somehow. Not doubt, not confusion, just...something she couldn’t quite put a finger on. It drove her to distraction, day and night, forcing her to forgo sleep as she paced and scowled and thought. She couldn’t be wrong, there was no way she could have missed something. There was nothing that ever got past the Master...and yet…

“You have been pacing for hours now, love. Do stop, or you’ll give me a headache.”

The Master flinched at the cold, uninterested tone that graced her ears.

“Do not call me that.”

She bit out her words through gritted teeth, twisting around on her heels and sending an icy glare down across the room. Much to her annoyance, all she got in response was a low laugh and the sound of a book closing sharply.

“Oh, and why is that? Why am I not allowed?”

Raising her eyebrows questioningly, the most sickening smirk on her face, Yaz probed. Oh, she knew exactly what she was doing, and that only served to aggravate the Master more. Her boots were heavy against the metal floor, shoulders square and strong as she marched up to the chaise lounge that her so-called companion lay dangerously beautifully over. Hazel-green eyes looked over her once, twice, eyes narrowing further. She had only agreed to have Yaz in her inner sanctum because she needed a soundboard. Otherwise, she would have left her taking her whims out on whatever planet she saw fit. Today, it seemed like she was only around to rile her up. Her smirk didn’t fade, eyes glittering as much as the gold across her neck did in the flickering fire light. The master bent down, drew her face up as close as she could before responding.

“Because you only address me by my name. Nothing else.”

There was only one way that their exchange was going to end, the Master knew that. It was the same every single time, and yet she continued to indulge her companion’s need for mischief. Why, she did not know. Perhaps she was just a little too fond of the way her mind worked, a little too impressed by how quickly she could turn the tables on her. Perhaps she was just a sucker for someone who could keep up with her, someone who provided a challenge that never stayed the same, someone who lit a different spark for her. Yaz was unphased by her intimidation tactics - she could never quite match her scowl or bitter tone - and slowly shifted up until they were more at level with each other. Slender fingers came to stroke against the bare skin of her forearm, trailing up until Yaz traced around the circular threads on her waistcoat.

“And what happens if I refuse, love? What happens if I continue to poke the bear, as it were?”

Oh, she was good, far too good for the Master to ever dream in her wildest fantasies. The day she had found Yasmin Khan had quite literally changed her entire world.

“I’ll make you regret ever thinking you can disrespect your Master.”

Yaz rolled her eyes, finally shifting from the chaise lounge and standing up. The heels she wore gave her an unfair advantage, but that still didn’t stop the Master from squaring up to her height and continuing to glare at her.

“Prove it.”

Oh, that wasn’t fair. Not fair at all.

The Master had her plan to work on. She had a whole arm of the galaxy to take out. Angels to feed. People and planets to burn. Yaz had absolutely no right to come and stay in her space, and throw all of her plans out of the window. And yet, she attempted to do just that. The sheer gall of it made the Master’s blood boil. Though, she had to admit, something else was starting to burn too. The absurdity all caused her to crack a smile, blood red lips parting as she too gave a quiet laugh in response to the thinly veiled threat at her expense. Oh, Yaz was something else, she really was. Whatever forces that begat the universe knew exactly what they were doing when they put her into the line of her stare. The Master sharply took hold of Yaz’s wrist, yanking it away from the front of her waistcoat and using it as leverage to pull her in just a little closer. She held her wrist high, the claws adorning her fingers scratching and poking into the skin of her arm.

“Oh I think I just might.”

Her plans could wait. Azubah could wait. She had fed the angels the day before, and she could always feed her most prized soldier again once she had concluded business with her interfering companion. After all, what was life there for if not an excuse to indulge in pleasures of all kinds? Flashing a grin of teeth, the Master started to stride out of the room, dragging Yaz behind her. Nothing was going to soil her work space, no matter how much the meddling human tried to insinuate it. There were better places on the TARDIS to give her what she wanted. The Master had to admit, she had been so lost in her world of chaos and destruction, that she had forgotten about debauchery and depravity. Clearly, Yaz had not. The further she twisted and turned through the halls, the more she could feel the tension growing between them. By the time she reached the appropriate door, the Master twisted herself around and positioned Yaz in front of it. She stepped in so close, trapping her between herself and the wood.

“Let your Master show you who’s really in charge here.”

Their frantic collision forced the door open, before it was closed again by the heel of the Master’s boot.

* * *

17 - Soulmates AU

The soulmark. A hotly contested part of everyone’s life. Something that appeared randomly, at a time when you were bound to meet your ‘soulmate’. Debate still stood around what that even meant; some chose romantic, others platonic, it was something talked about and never decided upon. Whatever it was, you would gain a mark on your wrist - a word, most likely - that would relate to your soulmate and help you find them. Or, help them find you. Her mum and dad had found each other through matching chrysanthemum marks. She had watched as Ryan had fallen into the path of a travel vlogger, noticing how she said the exact words on his wrist “nice bike”. It had helped that he had accidentally crashed into Bella with said bike, though Yaz couldn’t help but be mystified at that was the reason she started dating him. Everyone in the world seemed to have something understandable. She didn’t.

Unlike everyone else she had known - family or friends - her mark was entirely different. And, she had looked at it on her wrist for the last two years. A strange series of interlocking circles that spanned the entirety of her inner forearm. She had no idea what it had meant, what it was supposed to be, and after a year of trying to look up anything to do with pictograms...she ignored it. Many people ignored it too, thinking it was some kind of elaborate tattoo, and Yaz played up to that fact so much she often forgot it was her mark, expecting something to appear on her opposite wrist every time she found her eyes wandering over someone particularly interesting. But, nothing ever happened. The whole idea of soulmarks was lost on Yaz. All she wanted was someone to spend her time with, not some mystic magical nonsense.

“You’re staring at it again, Yaz.”

Pulling herself out of the daze, Yaz looked up. It was hard not to space out on a train journey, especially when it was just houses and roads going past. She pushed the sleeve of her jacket down to cover her arm, wincing a little.

“Sorry Ches...what were you saying?”

From across the table, she watched Ches roll her eyes and shake her head, before closing the book that sat on the table between them.

“I was trying to tell you about the amazing ecosystems of redwoods, but I guess that can wait for another day. Why were you staring at your arm again, anyway? Don’t tell me you’re still worried about it. Whatever it means, your person will come eventually.”

She was right, Yaz knew that. Of all of her friends, the most reasonable and knowledgeable one had always been Ches. It was why she taught, after all. Or, was attempting to, if the system would ever find a school for her to settle down in. Then again, it made sense too because Yaz had to admit...the soulmark that her friend had was easily on the more peculiar side as well. Nothing like hers, but it still threw the simple work-and-image based system out of the window. The mark on her wrist had been a series of dots. Which, eventually, turned out to be the constellation that a night of stargazing turned into meeting someone rather chaotically.

“I know. I know. It’s just...I wish I knew what it meant, is all. I mean, even you figured yours out eventually. It feels like I’m being mocked, you know? It doesn’t help i’m one of those hopeless romantics, and seeing everyone else with someone really gets you down after a bit. I don’t want to rush it though. I just want it to be clearer.”

With a soft and considerate smile on her face, Ches leant across the table and placed a hand on Yaz’s arm, giving it a squeeze.

“It’s okay, I get it. Want me to tell you about thi-”

Her words were cut off by a huff and a yelp as the train braked suddenly. Ches lurched back into her chair, while Yaz careened forward into the table, letting out a harsh grunt. Within seconds of the train screeching and wailing, everything went dark. After a few seconds of silence, Yaz shifted up and looked out of the window. It was dark - the houses had gone, leaving only fields - and the only real lights were the ones flickering in their cabin. People were scrambling to get out, jumping through broken windows and open doors and wandering the emptiness outside.

“The hell is going on?”

“I dunno, but it’s about time I wish I was on shift...maybe I should call-”

There was a hiss of air, a loud crack, and a bright flash of white light. Yaz and Ches both pressed against the side of the carriage, shielding their eyes. For a moment, Yaz peered over, almost entirely dumbstruck by...something. She didn’t know what it was. Whatever it was, it was big, and crackling with sparks, and moving to the next carriage. She wanted to say something, anything, but another crash caught her off guard along with the sound of heavy footsteps. By the time she sat back up and looked to the walkway, there was someone else standing there. A woman, in a strangely tattered and oversized suit. Her hair was a mess, almost as fried as her clothes, and yet she looked remarkably calm. Eventually, she turned and noticed both of them in the corner.

“I’m the Doctor. You didn’t happen to see anything weird pass by, did you? Well, I say weird. Kinda like...big. Really big. Dangerous. Not supposed to be here kind of weird.”

Yaz wanted to respond, opened her mouth to do so, but she recoiled back into the chair and clutched her arm to her chest. She hissed and spat as a sharp pain ran across her skin and into her bones. At least Ches had been paying some attention.

“Uh...straight...straight down to the next-”

“Gotcha! Thank you! You might wanna get off this train. Just saying. See ya!”

Like that, the strange woman was gone, not that Yaz noticed. She was in too much pain to care. Ches scrambled out of her seat and rounded the table, sliding over to Yaz’s side and trying to grab her attention.

“Yaz? Yaz, what’s up? Are you okay? Look, I think we need to-”

“M-my arm. Why did that just happen?”

Trying to make some space between her and Ches, Yaz pulled her arm out of the sleeve of her jacket, trying her best to ignore the pain. When she held it against the table, she couldn’t quite believe her eyes. Instead of the mass or swirling interwoven circles, were three words. Even in the darkness she could see them clear as day. Quite frankly, that was all she needed to see. Leaving her jacket on the train, Yaz gestured for Ches to move out of the way, sliding past her and heading towards the doors before an arm caught hold of her and she was looking back at frantic eyes.

“Yaz, where on earth are you going?! We need to leave, now!”

She shook her head with a slime, working free of the grip before pulling Ches into a tight hug. For all she knew, it would be the last time she saw her friend again.

“I’m going to find a Doctor.”

_ ‘My soulmate.’ _

* * *

18 - Monster AU

“Doctor, we need to talk.”

Yaz had been trying to work out how to talk to her girlfriend for weeks now, and had constantly been avoiding the subject altogether. But it was becoming a lot harder to ignore. She hoped that doing so outside, in the sun, where it was calm...would help.

“Talk? Talking’s ace. Whatcha wanna talk about, Yaz?”

With a grin on her face, the Doctor dropped down onto the picnic blanket, briefly rummaging around in the basket until she pulled out a cold turkey leg. She spent a moment or two just staring at it, before she took a huge chunk out of one side and hummed in appreciation.

“It’s about Ryan.”

“Mhmm. W’but ‘im?”

“And his dog.”

When Yaz looked over to the Doctor’ she watched as her face fell. It was mostly confusion, at first, stray bits of turkey skin clinging to her face as she tried to swallow the bite without chewing enough. A few seconds later, she could see her growing tense, eyes narrowing and shoulders hunching. Quite frankly, if Yaz had known that the Doctor was so...upset by dogs, she would have said something sooner. Except, it wasn’t just that she was upset with dogs. Oh no, it was far worse than that.

“You have to stop growling at poor Titus. He’s only a year old! You’re bigger than he is, and older, and you should be smarter than to know to pick fights with a puppy.”

“But he licks you! That’s my job! Also, he doesn’t share his toys, he barks at me all the time, AND he peed on you! Twice! He’s messing with my territory and I won’t allow it.”

Werewolves were not something that Yaz was entirely familiar with, outside of urban legends, and yet there she was...dating one. Specifically, one who had decided to get very irritated that another canine had entered the household, and had been causing a whole host of issues for the entire family. She had stolen his food, hidden all of his toys, blamed him for tearing up curtains and couch cushions. Though, yaz had to admit, the jury was still out on who the real culprit of those incidents was. Either way, she was being completely ridiculous about it all. Resting her hands on her hips, Yaz raised her eyebrows questioningly.

“Did you just...did you just call me ‘territory’?”

Turkey leg still in hand, the Doctor raised it up to try and say something back, but quickly thought better of it and shrank back into herself slightly.

“I...um...maybe?”

Leaning in closer, Yaz continued to stare until the Doctor was recoiling back so much she toppled over onto her back with a quiet squeak.

“You know, for someone who’s trying to be top dog, you’re really easy to intimidate. Maybe I just have to teach Titus how to boss you around. Get him to bite your ankles like he’s herding you. Or, give him all your turkey-”

In a flash, the Doctor sat back up again, looking completely crestfallen and dejected.

“You wouldn’t give him my turkey! That’s unfair! Yaaaaaaaz, please. Please don’t give him my food. I’ll be good. I promise!”

If it were possible for the Doctor to look more of a puppy, she started to whimper and quiver her lip. Sadly, that trick worked every time on Yaz, and she soon let her stern face fall as she let out a long sigh. She opened her arms, expecting a hug, but instead fell back against the blanket as the Doctor tackled her to the ground. It didn’t take long before she was in a fit of giggles as the werewolf started to rub her cheek up and down across the side of her face and into her hair.

“H-hey! Will y-you, aha, will you stop that?”

It wasn’t until Yaz could feel something tickling against her skin, that she wriggled free of the Doctor’s grasp and looked at her. Her eyes had grown wider, tongue practically lolling out of her mouth as Yaz could see spatterings of blonde-brown hair starting to appear across her nose and cheeks.

Another disadvantage of werewolf girlfriends, was that it wasn’t just full moons that turned them. Oh no. Any strong emotion, excitement mostly in the Doctor’s case, would start to throw little bits of changes out. Mostly it was just the growing of fur, but Yaz had watched the Doctor ruin a perfectly good pair of trousers on a day she accidentally grew out her tail. Her jacket had at least provided cover for the large hole in the back of them. Fearing it was going to happen again in a public place, she reached past the excitable blonde and picked up the half eaten turkey leg before holding it out in front of her.

“You promise you’re gonna be a good girl and stop picking fights with a defenceless puppy?”

As she waved the meat around, she smiled at how the Doctor’s eyes followed it without question.

“Don’t say that…”

“What? Can’t I call you a good girl?”

A hint of colour started to appear on the Doctor’s cheeks as she turned her eyes down to the grass. It was endlessly funny to Yaz, how anything that could be attributed to a dog could also work for the Doctor. She looked to chase footballs around, and seemed to always come back with a branch from some tree. You could get her to do absolutely anything if you told her she could get a treat or some kind of reward. And, much to the Doctor’s own chagrin, she would whimper and whine in her sleep if she was having a particularly interesting dream. But her favourite of all the little quirks, was that she really enjoyed to be pat on the head. Yaz leant across, passing the turkey leg over with one hand and using the other to gently stroke across the top of the Doctor’s head.

“I’m sorry. You know I'm only playing. You can have your food back. And I promise I won’t be giving any of it away to Titus. But, I will if you get aggressive with him again. Understand?”

The Doctor all but melted into her touch, barely holding on to the offered half-eaten turkey leg as she leaned into the touch and let out a contented sigh.

“Mhmm. Sure. Whatever you say Yaz.”

She would believe it when she saw it.

* * *

19 - Burlesque AU

She had never been nervous for meeting with a potential employer before, even though the vast majority of them had been less than savoury. Then again, it was the first time she had been directly invited to an establishment to see the place. It was also the first time she had been unsure of who was running the place. During her online searches, so many names had come up, and none of them had given her any answers. Still, she needed a gig. Something to get her into a better place in her career. Actually, the more she thought on that, the more she thought it hilarious that she would consider it a career in the first place. Pushing all thoughts aside, Yaz stepped closer to the door and rang the buzzer on the wall. While the door was dark and had blackened glass, it still didn’t strike her as the right establishment. It was less of a back-alley, and more a forward facing “all welcome” kind of vibe she got from the place. She did jump though, when a voice came from the speaker.

“Business?”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Yaz replied.

“Um..I’m here...here about that ad onl-”

“Oh! Yes! Brilliant. Ace. Hang on, lemme just...there you go! Come on up.”

There was a click from the speaker, and then one from the door. Yaz pushed against it, finding it hard to shift from its hinges, before she managed to get inside. The hallway around the stairs was a clean white, and it looked more like the entrance to a block of flats, rather than a studio and performance space. Still, she made her way up the stairs, watching as the walls slowly became decorated with roses and other flowers. At the top of the stairs, was a small landing and a deep blue door. With nowhere else to do, she pushed it open and paused in the doorway. She looked on at the wide spanning dance studio, the wall in front of her completely lined with mirrors. There were several other women in the room, who all turned around as the door opened. Clearly, she was at least in the right place. All of them were in various states of dress, with lace and gems and feathers. She went to apologise, but soon her vision was entirely taken up.

“Hiya! You must be Yasmin. So nice to finally meet you. Don’t mind the rest of the girls, they’re just practicing. Actually, lemme introduce you real quick and then we can get to talking somewhere a little more formal.”

Again, before she could say a word, she felt an arm come around her shoulder and push her further into the room.

“Right ladies, this one may end up joining us so give your best smiles, yeah?”

The exuberant blonde woman soon started pointing to the others in front of her in turn.

“First up we’ve got our lovely main-stage act, River.”

A woman with wild ginger curls and a dazzling smile took a step forward. She gave a bow and Yaz swore she caught a wink thrown in here too. Though, considering she was standing there in just lingerie, Yaz had no idea where she was supposed to be looking and chose to keep her eyes to the floor regardless.

“Pleasure, sweetie. I think you’d do good on our circuits. J, please don’t frighten this one off.”

“Oi! I don’t frighten. I enlighten. Also, please get your test costume on...you’ve got a routine to polish before tonight. Next up is Rose.”

As River rolled her eyes and moved to one side, Yaz looked up to see someone else come over. At first glance, she looked to be around her age perhaps. Rose was already in a full costume; a dusty pink bodice and matching briefs, feathers in her hair and trailing off the back of her outfit in a faux cape. She dropped her fans and waved with a wide grin.

“More young blood, nice. Finally we can tip the scales. Hope you stick around, I’m already getting some ideas for what we could do with you. J’ll take good care of you, promise.”

As Rose moved over to one of the dancer’s poles, Yaz turned to see two more women off to the side. Neither of them shifted from their spot, and she could have sworn they were smirking at her.

“These two troublemakers are Clara and Missy. Whenever they’re not trying to drag me out here, they make some brilliant routines.”

“Oh, J, I’m so wounded. How could you think so little of me? I thought we had something…”

The older of the two women, dressed in a deep purple and black striped lingerie set, stepped forward and curtseyed in the most sarcastic manner Yaz thought she had ever seen. At least she also held out a gloved hand, which Yaz gingerly took and shook. Her grip was certainly something. With the xchange over, Clara came over. Out of all of them, Yaz was surprised to see she came over and just gave a nod before walking off.

“Right, let’s leave them to it then, shall we? Office is just at the back here. Come on, there’s tea and custard creams all ready and waiting.”

Finally able to think from the whirlwind of interactions, Yaz could take a proper look at her host as she was shuffled out of a side door. ‘J’ wore a fitted black suit and a plain white shirt, with thin suspenders. The front of her shirt was undone by several buttons, although considering what Yaz had just walked into, she was somehow far more intimidating despite wearing more clothes. As another door was opened for her, she found herself in a tiny little office in a very deep blue. The dark wood floor made the place look even smaller, and the black leather furniture didn’t help either. She was offered a seat on a small sofa, which she accepted with a muted thank you, before watching J lounge across a small armchair. Her pose was...less than flattering, and Yaz could already feel herself getting flushed.

“So then, Yasmin.”

“Y-you can call me Yaz.”

J raised her eyebrows, eyes running up and down her a couple of times before a grin spread across her face.

“Yaz. Hmm. Yeah, I like that. I like that alot. Anyway, Yaz; what makes you want to be a part of my little troupe of class acts? We cater to a very specific demographic, or at least, our clientele is mostly other women. What can you bring to the Time Ladies family? Your portfolio really caught my eye. But, go on, tell me about yourself. Help yourself to a biscuit too.”

Having been too distracted by the strange duality of her host, Yaz had completely missed the sight of a waiting cup of tea and a plate of biscuits that sat on the table in between them. Perhaps it wasn’t going to be as bad an experience as she had once thought.

* * *

20 - Florist AU

Putting the last few flowers into the vase, she let out a sigh, reaching across the countertop for the ribbon. She had managed to get ten orders done, which was quite the achievement considering there had been a few customers here and there to contend with. It had all helped to take her mind off what she was going to be doing in...ten minutes and forty two seconds. Nimble fingers worked the blue silk ribbon into a wide and bouncy bow, and Jo took several steps back to admire her work. The customer had asked for an array of spring blossoms in white and yellow, and the blue bow made the pastel colours pop nicely. With a nod, she stepped back in and picked up the vase, placing it on the back wall rack ready for the next day. After she made sure all the labels were clearly visible - her memory in the morning was absolutely horrendous - she pulled the green apron off and hung it on the coat hook.

“Everyone’s gonna love you all, I’m sure of it. I know I do. Please don’t wilt before tomorrow, I made sure you give all of you a good meal and a good water.”

Jo was glad that nobody really came into her shop during the last half an hour, because that was when she was free to talk to all the plants she kept. She felt it helped them grow, and it certainly made her feel brilliant doing it. Mostly because there was nobody else really to talk to. Or, there hadn’t been, at least until a couple of months ago. Jo had watched the old cafe across the street close down because the owners were moving to another country, and she had maybe cried over it more than a few times. After that, it didn’t take long for someone else to take the spot. It was in a prime location on the highstreet of a small town, after all. What she had expected, was maybe another cafe or a charity shop. But no, Jo had never been so wrong. Painters had come in and graffiti’d the whole place from top to bottom, and she watched in horror as a tattoo parlour was put in the cafe’s place. She didn’t care for those establishments, they brought in...loud people. Colourful people. The only colourful things Jo needed were her flowers.

Still, she had dropped a bouquet at the door and prayed she never came into contact with whoever had taken over. However, she had been wrong on that account too. If only because a cat had made its way into her shop, and Jo may have slightly fallen in love with the fat ginger ball of fur. Apparently, it belonged to the parlour over the road, and that was when she had unintentionally met one of the owners. Yasmin Khan. Yaz, to her friends. A woman with a slim but strong build, with metal in her ears and patterns all over her arms.Jo wasn’t sure what she felt meeting her - fear, confusion, intimidation...intrigue? - but whatever it was, it didn’t go away when she handed the purring cat back to his owner. No, the feelings persisted, and Jo would find herself looking across at the store every once in a while. Not to judge, just to see what was going on. That was when she saw another woman, who she would later come to know as Bill. The two of them ran a studio that catered to - majoritively - a wide variety of minority groups. That, Jo admired. Even if their taste in music felt like nails of a chalkboard to her ears.

“I’ll be back to close up properly in a bit, okay guys? Nobody make a mess while I’m gone. Especially you, Gertrude. Your leaves are looking lovely today, by the way.”

Picking her keys out of the bowl under the countertop, Jo stepped out of her store and onto the highstreet, locking the door behind her. As soon as the warm summer air hit her, she felt the apprehension and panic skyrocket. Why had she agreed to such a stupid thing? Shaking her head and jumping up and down on the spot a few times, Jo tried to settle her nerves. Yaz said it was fine. She trusted Yaz, didn’t she? When had that even happened? At first glance, she couldn’t lie; Yaz was scary. She was everything that Jo wasn’t, and that made her wary and uncomfortable. But the way she handled Garfield...how tenderly she cradled him in her arms...the way her eyes softened and melted like chocolate...Oh, how Jo had felt her heart skip a beat. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and not even her plants could compare. As such, it had been far too easy to agree to get her ears pierced. At no point in her life had Jo ever thought about such a thing, and yet whenever she saw Yaz through her window and waved at her as they both started their days, she had thought about it.

“It’s gonna be okay. It’s gonna be okay. It’s gonna be okay.”

Several long breaths later, Jo finally felt herself calming down a little bit. Only a little, though. Quickly shoving her keys inside the front pocket of her denim dungarees, she turned on her heels and crossed the cobbled street to the parlour. As time had gone on, Jo had seen Yaz inside her shop a few times for some flowers to put in the front window. At a glance, the bouquet of chrysanthemums and hyacinths were still going strong. Shaking hands pushed against the bright red door, a small bell ringing as she stepped inside and wiped her feet back and forth over the welcome mat. It was the first time she had entered the parlour, and she was taken aback by the sheer amount of visual stimulus she was receiving. Murals of all colours, framed pieces of art, shelves of collectables. A giant salt lamp was by the door, a huge pillar of amethyst further back in the shop, a collection of stuffed animals lined on shelves. Too much. Too much. Too-

“Jo? Hi. Oh. Hold on, lemme just...there we go.”

Yaz looked up from her sketchbook, jumping out of her chair and heading over to the stereo. She turned the music way down, to barely a whisper, and Jo wasn’t sure what was getting her attention anymore. The bright decor, or the way Yaz had picked up on her sensitivity to noise so quickly.

“Do you...do you want me to get you a tea? Or some water? Bill’s gone home early with Garfield so it’s just me here. You can sit down on the bench there, okay?”

Jo quickly turned her eyes to Yaz, opened her mouth to speak but found herself unable to do so. Instead, she shook her head and slowly walked over to the bench and sat herself down. Mentally, she just kept repeating the mantra of ‘It’s gonna be okay’ to herself while Yaz vanished off into the back.

* * *

21 - Arranged Marriage AU

Oh, how Yasmin had been dreading the day. She had been dreading, and dreading, and dreading beyond belief. Being the oldest of two daughters, it was her day to be paired off with a potential suitor. She abhorred the idea beyond all else. What possibly gave her parents the right to do such a thing? Convention be damned, she wanted to be a free woman and pick her own future partner. But no, she had no say, and thus was left at the mercy of her parents. Or rather, the general populous. As was expected of a wealthy family, word spread amongst the other elite that she was free to be betrothed, and thus others would be sending their ‘candidate’ for her to pick from. The illusion of free choice was not lost on her, not in the slightest. With a haughty sigh, Yasmin pulled herself away from the bedroom window and resided herself to her fate. She looked over to the golden gown that lay sprawled across her bed. While she appreciated the fine craftsmanship, she hated also that she had to dress to impress. Could her suitors not love her for who she was? No. Still, it would be the showing soon, and she had to get ready.

As the clock in the hall rang three times, the doors opened and Yasmin walked out. Besides her, were both her mother and father, and they stayed by her side as she looked on at the potential people laid out before her. The first to step forward, offering a sharp bow, was a foppish man. His suit was made from tweed and he wore a blue bowtie, his hair growing wild and untamed. His eyes were softer though, and his voice too. Although, Yasmin found herself discounting him rather quickly. He felt a little too meek, a little too subdued. If she was to pick a partner, it would be someone with a spark.

“My lady, I am Count Alexander. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“A pleasure indeed.”

She responded kindly, she owed him that much. Yasmin had seen him at many formal events, and she was surprised that no other girl her age had taken him. Perhaps there was something about him that they all sensed. Her eyes turned to the next person in the line.

Yasmin found it impossible to tell who the next person was. They wore an equally sharp suit, but it was a crisp white, with silver detailing across the lapels and adoring their waistcoat. Their footsteps were almost silent as they stepped forward and bowed in kind. Yasmin looked them over once or twice, and had to admit that the dapper stranger intrigued her. She had never seen them before. The features of their face were sharp, eyes bold and glittering, and their short brown hair was swept over to one side and elevated slightly. Even as they spoke, Yasmin could not discern anything about them. Such an air of mystery was swaying her already.

“Lady Yasmin, it is an honour to meet you. I am Ser Kaster.”

_ ‘Hmm…’ _

As the second stepped back into the lineup, Yasmin turned to the third. He was...definitely interesting, to say the least. He stood tall and had a very strong set build, dropping his knees slightly as he bowed. His suit was a deep crimson, velveteen, and he wore a pocket watch and a cravat. It took Yasmin a few moments to register that the higher pitched and floaty voice had come from him. It was such a stark contrast to his rougher exterior.

“You may call me Master Bashir, a pleasure indeed my Lady.”

There was only one more person in the lineup presented to her - a collection of the finest suitors her parents could summon - and Yasmin felt herself grow breathless for a second. Stepping forward, without any posturing, was the most striking woman she had ever seen in all her twenty years. Her hair was golden, windswept and bold, framing the soft features of her face. She wore a simple black suit, but her tie was speckled with the same gold as her hair. Yasmin found herself almost entirely ignoring whatever she said in favour of staring at her eyes. They seemed to constantly shift between shades of hazel, green, gold and brown.

“Lady Yasmin Khan. I’m the Doctor. Nothing more.”

Whilst a woman of few words, Yasmin discerned rather quickly that it was an act. She moved in a way that suggested she had far more energy than she was giving out, and her voice was decidedly fake. It was far too proper and formal. It was the little things that gave her away, really. The slight ruffle of a shirt rushed to be tucked in. Her bowtie was slightly lopsided and uneven. The lines around her eyes gave away some age, something the youthful facade was trying to pave over. Whoever this ‘Doctor’ was, Yasmin could feel herself inexplicably drawn towards her. While the other suitors were perfectly eligible, her mind was made up before she could even begin to ponder any of them to begin with. Yasmin turned to both sides to look at her parents. They were gazing expectantly at her, her mother even giving her a gentle tap on the back to urge her forwards.

Yes, an arranged marriage was a most horrible thing. But, perhaps, she would not mind it as much.

It pained her to have to tell those who would not be picked, but it was part of the process she had been taught from an early age. She approached Bashir first, giving him a curtsey before shaking her head solemnly. The message was received quickly, and with another bow he quietly departed the room behind her parents. She heard her mother gasp, so clearly she had been banking on her choosing him. While he was possibly a nice gentleman, he was not for her. Her next move across the line was over to Alexander. The process was repeated again, and for a moment he stood there with a dazed expression. Eventually, he moved on, mumbling an apology before he left. Now, Yasmin was down to two suitors. The strange enigmatic soul in white, and the equally perplexing woman in black. In her eyes, both would make a fine partner. Slowly, she walked over towards Kaster, staring with another curtsey.

“You are quite possibly the most intriguing person I have ever laid eyes upon.”

She spoke slow and soft, half expecting Kaster to light up with misplaced excitement. However, she was mistaken, as Yasmin felt her hand being taken carefully.

“Lady Yasmin...while it pains me, you need not say more. I understand. Thank you for entertaining me, but I know when I am beaten.”

Her hand was raised to Kaster’s lips, who kissed it gently, before letting it go and giving her a bow. However, they turned sharply towards the Doctor, hands on hips as eyes looked her over.

“Doctor?”

The blonde lifted her head, tilting it slightly in question.

“I do hope you treat her with the utmost care. Consider that a warning, or even a jest. Either way...good day.”

With that, Kaster took their leave, leaving Yasmin and the Doctor staring at each other. Whether or not Yasmin had made the right choice, was to be decided at a later date. Until then, she wished to know everything there was to know about a woman with only a title for a name.


	4. Week Four - Favourite Tropes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final extended list of nine prompts to round off a month long series.  
> Fake dating, dazed confessions, telepathic mishaps, caught, enclosed spaces, one bed, mutual pining, drunk flirting, hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what to put in these notes.  
> Just know that I am absolutely beyond thrilled to have finished this.  
> It has been...a bit of a rollercoaster, and I truly hope you enjoy all of these <3
> 
> Fake Dating: 13 & Yaz, ft minor Ryan & Graham  
> Dazed Confessions: Fam-centric mostly  
> Telepathic Mishaps: 13 & Yaz  
> Caught: 13 & Yaz, brief moment of Ryan  
> Enclosed Space: 13 & Yaz, mentions of the Corsair  
> One Bed: 13 & Yaz  
> Mutual Pining: 13 & Yaz  
> Drunk Flirting: 13 & Yaz, but mostly Graham & 13  
> Hope: 13 & Yaz

22 - Fake Dating

“A couple’s planet? You’ve gotta be kidding me, Doc. No way. How’s this gonna even work? I’m too old to pretend to be your husband. Again…”

Hands pressed against her hips, the Doctor shook her head slightly, unable to stop herself from smiling a little at Graham’s exasperated response. She hadn’t meant to land them on Veloxia, but there was a distress signal the TARDIS had honed in on from somewhere down on the planet’s surface. Either that, or she was playing games again.

“You won’t have to, Graham. Because the laws and customs have loopholes. By couples, I mean that we have to split up by gender. Probably should have said pairs, in hindsight. Promise I’ll get it right next time. Although, there is another problem I should probably mention before we leave.”

While Graham heaved a sigh of relief, and Ryan looked almost crestfallen at the lack of opportunity to see the two older members of team TARDIS playing happy families, Yaz looked at the Doctor questioningly.

“What problem?”

That made the Doctor’s face fall slightly.

“Well...The Veloxians are an incredibly strange bunch of humanoids. Compared to Earth, it’s the males who take care of the families and the females who do the rest of the stuff. It’ll be easier to play off Graham and Ryan as the family unit, considering they won’t exactly have to pretend. Also, that’s how we have to be split anyway. I can’t work out where the distress signal is coming from exactly, but it’s slap bang in the middle of the two divided districts. So Ryan and Graham will have to go to the male side, and you and I will have to take the female one. Guess this regeneration has some uses…”

“No offence, while I don’t mind being paired off with Granddad, you still haven’t said what this other problem is. What’s gonna be going on with you and Yaz?”

Silence fell through the TARDIS, as the Doctor uncharacteristically showed signs of nerves. She jostled about on the spot for a moment, watching as the rest of her fam shared a glance between themselves. Normally, she had never felt awkward at explaining the customs of other worlds to them, but something about this really did put her on edge a little bit. While it was undoubtedly misplaced anxiety, the Doctor stayed quiet until Graham spoke up again.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure you and I can handle whatever’s out there son. Same with the Doc and Yaz. Now, are we gonna find whatever’s causing this issue or what?”

Glad to have the tension broken, the Doctor returned to her usual wide smile before fishing around in her coat pockets and handing Graham a small screened device. They all agreed to give updates on the hour, and soon they were off out of the TARDIS and into the dusty air. Veloxia was primarily a desert planet, but the locals had terraformed larged parts to be habitable. With a wave and a smile, Ryan and Graham headed off to the east, leaving Yaz staring at the Doctor.

“Are you gonna tell me what’s up now the boys have gone, or am I going to have to play twenty questions with you all day?”

Again, the Doctor seemed to withdraw into herself, but was at least a little more receptive.

“Sorry Yaz. it’s just, the last time I came here I was a man. So, I did what Ryan and Graham are doing. I don’t really know what it’s like on the other side, my friends did it instead. But…”

She paused again, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand.

“I guess they didn’t mind so much having to act like a couple. Kind of had me going by the end of it too...”

Yaz looked at the Doctor, before looking over to the western side where they would be heading. While she wasn’t entirely sure that the Veloxians looked female - not that she had ever seen one before - she could see why the Doctor was more than apprehensive about being so open about the topic. Personal displays of affection looked to be incredibly common, and yet nobody was phased by it. A part of her wondered if that was what the Greeks were like, considering how the Doctor seemed to go off on tangents about their sexuality whenever something cropped up in a relatable manner. When she turned back, Yaz swore the Doctor was blushing slightly.

“So, basically, in order to blend in…”

“We need to be like that, yeah. Look, we don’t have to do anything. I can nip back to Earth and find someone you’d be more comfortable with you you can stay on the TARDIS while I-”

_ ‘This is my only chance, don’t take it from me, Doctor.’ _

Yaz stepped forward and held out her hand, smiling softly as she watched hazel-green eyes lower and then lift back up. The Doctor slowly took a step forward and took the offered hand, half a second away from saying something else. Except, Yaz didn’t want to hear anymore - no, because in truth she might have turned away - so instead she pushed up on her toes and quickly pressed her lips to the Doctor’s cheek. It was over far quicker than she would have liked, but Yaz had a job to do. If that job just so happened to be pretending to be involved with the woman she had fallen head over heels for and was too afraid to talk to, then so be it. Maybe she could work it all out of her system before she spent more sleepless nights pondering over the what-ifs.

“You’re beautiful when you’re flustered. But maybe you should let me take the lead on this one before you say something to get us kicked out.”

With her eyes wide, the Doctor nodded slowly, and allowed herself to be willfully dragged away from the TARDIS and into the waiting crowds. Whether or not the TARDIS had indeed been playing around again, she had no idea, but whatever was about to happen on Veloxia...the Doctor oddly welcomed it. Sure, she couldn’t hear any of the hustle and bustle around her from the sound of her hearts beating rapidly in her ears. And sure, she couldn’t focus on anything other than the fact Yaz had just kissed her, in a roundabout way. None of that mattered. In fact, nothing in the universe did. Because the Doctor was happy. She was happy to be hand in hand with Yaz. She was happy to be able to stare at her adoringly. She was happy to be in her personal space bubble without getting odd glances. Whether or not she would do anything with the information...was another matter entirely.

* * *

23 - Dazed Confessions

“Have you heard back from the Doc yet, Yaz?”

Graham looked up from his cup of tea and across the table towards Yaz. She shook her head slowly as she put her cup down onto the placemat. All three of them had been waiting for the Doctor to call and say that she had finished refueling at the Rift. Or, doing maintenance. Both had been mentioned, but it had been three days since anyone had received a voice message from her. From the sofa, Ryan lifted his head, shuffling upright and walking over to the table. He dropped his phone down and pointed at the screen.

“She’s there. Look, I just sent something to the group chat and it’s ticked off. Neither of you are on your phones, so it’s gotta be her.”

Both Graham and Yaz peered over. True to point, Ryan had just asked if the Doctor was okay and the double tick was clear as anything. Usually, it would be seconds before the bubble with the ellipsis in would pop up and show she was active, but there was no response. It wasn’t like the Doctor to not reply instantly. She never seemed to miss a trick when it came to the group chat. Something about the whole ordeal didn’t feel right to Yaz. Not that she didn’t trust the Doctor, then again she only just about trusted her more than Ryan and Graham did. Finishing off the last mouthful of tea, she pushed out her chair and stood up.

“Guess we better go check on her. Trip to the yard?”

There was a hum of approval around the room as Graham slid out from the table and went to the hallway to grab his coat and car keys. It was the easiest place for them to check first, as nobody seemed to care about a small woman in welding goggles working underneath a police box in the backstreets of Sheffield. When all three of them had gathered their wits, it was time to get going to the yard. Hopefully, it wasn’t the first thing the Doctor was doing, and that they actually found her there. On the journey, Yaz sent several more messages to the Doctor. Some of them got seen. But the last two just sat there, unnoticed. Which didn’t help abate the worried feeling gnawing her stomach.

As Graham drove the car through the warehouse estate, he pulled up outside the mechanic’s building and stopped. The TARDIS sat outside, lights on. All of them had been expecting it to be up on the raised bench, wires and cables all over the floor, but it just looked...normal. Like it had only just landed. Maybe it had. Each got out of the car in turn, Ryan shrugging his shoulders, before Graham stepped over and pushed at the doors. They opened up wide, the golden light of the console room inviting them inside. The mechanics had apparently been taking place on the inside. Several grates under the console were piled up against one pillar, a toolbox and half a dozen strange and regular tools scattered about the floor. Yaz could see the Doctor’s coat had been haphazardly flung over some of the controls, but there was no actual sign of her.

“Doc?”

Graham called out, but there was no reply. All three of them ventured deeper into the central room, peering around for any traces of the Doctor. It was Ryan who found her, deep underneath the floor. Or, some of her at least. Just her legs were visible, the rest of her was buried deeper into the mass of wires and cables.

“Doctor, you alright down there?”

He crouched down, peering through the large gap in the floor. There was a second of movement, but again no response. Grahan and Yaz came over a moment later, all three of them now staring into the brightly lit gap. It was incredibly unlike the Doctor to not be talking, or cursing, or just generally making a mess whenever she did anything remotely scientific or mechanical. Even the TARDIS was quiet. Reaching behind her and grabbing what looked like a strange hammer, Yaz held onto the widest end and bent down into the floor gap, pking the handle against the Doctor’s leg. There was a yelp, a crack and a sigh. Eventually, there was movement too. The Doctor shimmied further down the floor, rubbing her head as she looked up through the gap. Her eyes were ringed red, lined with deep bags and she could hardly keep them open.

“Mmm...whoosat? Who’s ‘ere? Fam? S’at you?”

Ringing her arm back up, Yaz looked down at the Doctor.

“Yeah...it’s us. Are you alright? You sound kinda...tired.”

A wide grin spread across the Doctor’s face as her arm dropped and she shook her head.

“Pfft. M’not tired. Who’s tired? I’m doin’ just’ fine thankssss.”

Clearly, she wasn’t. The three of them looked at each other with confusion, all coming to the conclusion that there was something clearly wrong with the situation they had walked into. It was Ryan who asked about it first.

“Doc, when’s the last time you lay down for a bit?

“‘M lyin’ down right now.”

“I mean, to sleep. You know, that thing you always tell us to do because ‘humans need sleep’.”

There was a pause, and the Doctor lifted a hand up to her face. Her lips moved as her fingers did, and she was clearly counting something down.

“One hundred and twenty two hours, thirty six minutes, and fifty one seconds ago.”

Yaz and Ryan looked at each other for a moment before Graham piped up.

“Bloody hell, five days?! Doc, you really need to get to bed. Come on, we’re getting you out of that pit right now. Ryan, you grab one arm and I’ll get the other. Yaz, shift those tools over so we can drag her up.”

While the Doctor clearly had no idea about what was going on, simply smiling and laughing quietly to herself and the boys dragged her out of the hole, Yaz cleared some space and helped to get her standing. Though, it really did take all three of them. The Doctor was heavy and moving like a limp ragdoll, completely unable to keep herself standing on her own. With the three of them surrounding her, Yaz helped guide them towards where she last saw the Doctor’s bedroom. Seemingly sympathetic to their plight, Yaz was thankful that the TARDIS was helping guide them along until they came to an open bedroom door.

“Yaz. Hey. Yaaaaaaaz. Psst. Yaz.”

The Doctor mumbled and slurred her words as Ryan and Graham dragged the dead-weight Time Lord over towards the bed.

“Yes, Doctor?”

Yaz helped to lift her legs onto the bed, pushing the Doctor just enough so that she was finally laying down on the bed. 

“‘S anyone ever told you you’re beautiful?”

Caught off guard by the statement, Yaz paused for a moment. She could hear the gasp and snicker behind her, but brushed it off. She could deal with the incoming teasing once she was sure the Doctor would sleep. Ignoring her words, she instead reached over the Time Lord and folded the quilt over her like a cocoon, though made sure her boots weren’t caught up in it.

“Go to sleep, Doctor.”

“Onnnnly if y’stay w’me Yaz. M’lovely Yaz. Love Yaz.”

Turning around, Yaz could see the mix of withheld laughter and joy spread across both Ryan and Graham’s faces. Of course she would only hear something when the Doctor was completely out of her mind thanks to sleep deprivation. Still, she cut her losses and waved both of the boys off before sitting down on the side of the bed with a sigh. The moment she left the room, she was going to hear so much. Really though, the smile on the Doctor’s face as she saw her stay and sleep take over...that was more than worth it all.

* * *

24 - Telepathy

Something had been different lately, and it was getting harder and harder for the Doctor to ignore. Normally she was pretty good with ignoring things too - one of the many charms she knew she possessed - but it really was starting to become an issue. Namely because it was something she didn’t want to talk about. Bonus points for it being something she certainly didn’t ever want the fam to know about. Specifically, one of them in particular. The list of occurrences had rapidly been growing, leaving her with only one course of action. As the TARDIS lay silent in the middle of a ‘night cycle’, the Doctor quietly sprang into action. While she moved through the hallways, she kept an ear to the door of each of the rooms her companions lay sleeping in. Just to make sure they really were asleep. There was no way she was going to get anything past them if they suddenly woke up. With the coasts clear, she carried on until she reached the console room. The golden lights slowly blossomed to life, illuminating the space around her.

“You and I need to have a little chat.”

Making her way down the steps, the Doctor could feel the familiar push and pull in her mind. She could see a question mark appear, and couldn’t help but smile a little. Her old girl was playing coy, of course she was. Rolling her eyes in amusement, the Doctor positioned herself against one of the crystalline column and pressed her back into it, keeping her gaze focused on the central console column as it slowly pulsed up and down.

“You’re rummaging. You know you don’t have to, you know exactly why I’m here right now. Play fair.”

At that point, she saw someone smiling. Or, at first, it was just someone. Someone she had probably seen in passing at some point in her life. But the mental image started to change. It wasn’t just ‘someone’ anymore, it was a very specific someone. The Doctor stepped forward and glared, feeling her body instinctively tense up as she heard a few errant beeps of laughter.

“You’re not gonna play fair then, fine. Two can play at this game.”

It only took a few long strides before she stood at the console, hands pressed against the metal edges as she leant forward and closed her eyes. In a couple of seconds, she was going through a reel of all the incidences she wanted to have words about.

The first was a day where she was dropping her fam off home. Ryan and Graham were heading out of the door, with Yaz following behind. As she waved goodbye, the Doctor swore she could hear “I Found A Reason” suddenly creeping into the back of her mind. Then, subsequently, blasting around the whole TARDIS as soon as everyone had left.

Next, when she had brushed past Yaz in order to get to the custard cream dispenser, she had inexplicably felt a very intense wave of euphoria wash over her. Which, judging by the unusual sensation, was not her own. She had to admit though, Yaz’s smile had been particularly wide that day.

The fact that she had found several of her belongings miraculously inside Yaz’s bedroom, after she had spent two days coming in and out, handing things over to her. A shirt, some socks, her sonic screwdriver, a hammer, even one of the many obscure alien novels she liked to read. The Doctor was thankful that Yaz couldn’t read the Venusian script.

Not including the many repeated occurrences of hearing some terribly unfiltered thoughts inside her head, that certainly weren’t her own. Sometimes they were subtle enough that she didn’t really pay attention. Like a fragment of random thought. Other times, they were things that were directed at her, and mostly only occurred when Yaz was in a space alone with her.

Before she could throw more evidence into the mix, because there was quite a lot stacking up against the TARDIS and her intrusions, the Doctor opened her eyes to another series of beeps and whines. No longer a laugh. Something decidedly more apologetic and solemn. The very large ‘but’ that followed, at least made her smile for a moment. Clearly, her sentient spaceship meant well. She always did. It was any wonder that her companions often referred to the TARDIS as their wife. Things had certainly been getting progressively more meddlesome since the whole ejected consciousness scenario.

“I know you’re trying to look out for me. But I can handle this myself. There’s a reason why I’m not doing anything about it. You know there is. I’m just scared to tell Yaz-”

“Tell me what, Doctor?”

Her blood ran cold. The Doctor’s head quickly turned towards the stairs, and it felt as if the whole of time and space had just stopped. Standing at the bottom of the steps, in just a nightdress, was Yaz. A Yaz who looked incredibly tired still, judging by her half-lidded stare and wild hair. Trying to hide the fact she kicked the underside of the console, the Doctor completely turned around and tried to pretend everything was completely fine and she wasn’t just about to spill her hearts out to her ship.

“Yaz, what’re you doing up? It’s late isn’t it?”

With a yawn, Yaz shuffled over, arms wrapped around her chest.

“Mind won’t stop racing. You know how sometimes you get a song stuck? Feels like I’ve been listening to a playlist in my head for hours and I can’t get it to shift.”

Shooting an accusatory glare towards the ceiling, the Doctor stepped away from the console and gave a soft smile.

“If it’s bothering you that much...I could try and...maybe...get your head to quieten down a little. Put something else in there instead. That is, if you want that. I could just go put the kettle on or something.”

“You can do that? Just...mess with my head?”

The Doctor nodded slowly, trying to figure out the best way to explain it.

“Touch telepathy. Something all Time Lords can do. I can find that thought that’s bothering you and just...get it to stop. Make it be some relaxing sea sounds or the rain in the rainforest room. You name it. But...that’s only if you want that.”

“Please. No matter what I do, I can’t stop thinking about music. I can’t even change the songs in my head, they’re just...there.”

Stepping closer to Yaz, the Doctor looked at her again before lifting her hands up. Really, she was hoping Yaz would have chosen the tea option. But, she couldn’t really refuse.

“Close your eyes. I’m just gonna touch your temples. Helps. Block out everything else except those noises, okay?”

Yaz gave a nod and closed her eyes with a sigh. Pressing her fingers to cool skin, the Doctor closed her eyes too and slowly stepped inside Yaz’s mind. However, what she walked into was not what she was expecting. Syphoning off her own thoughts, she pushed into the vicinity of the TARDIS matrix and griped.

_ ‘Will you stop playing love songs inside her head!’ _

* * *

25 - Caught

Yaz peered around the corner of the doorway, scanning the gaps between the shelves. It took a couple of moments before she spotted the Doctor off in the distance. Thankfully, she looked distracted and deep in a bright red covered book. She slipped through the library, making sure to tread lightly, lurking around one of the more bursting shelves. The Doctor was perched on an elaborate armchair, legs dangling over one of the leather-bound arms and bouncing slowly. The book was balanced in one hand quite close to her face while the other carefully turned the pages. Between her dishevelled hair, her tongue poking out between her lips and the thick-rimmed black glasses falling down her nose, Yaz was mesmerised. It was the most casual she had seen the Time Lord to date. Her signature coat was nowhere to be seen in the pile of books strewn across the floor, not on the back of the armchair and not on her person either.

She lingered longer still, watching the way the Doctor moved. Even though the motions were subtle and decidedly mundane, Yaz couldn’t help but watch the way her fingers flexed to keep the book stable and turn the pages, and the twitch of muscles in her forearm. For once, the Doctor was just lounging in comfortable clothes; a pair of baggy grey trousers adorned with rainbow stripes up the outside of the legs, mismatched socks with polka dots and stripes, as well as an oversized pastel jumper with the sleeves rolled up past her elbows. Her face would fall into a different expression every few pages or so - joy, confusion, shock - and Yaz wondered how fast she could actually read. Really, she had come to ask if the Doctor wanted some tea and yet there she was, staring adoringly between lines of books like there was nobody else in the universe.

She found herself doing that a lot lately.

There was a voice in her head - a little internal monologue almost - that drove her to take a step forward out into the open. One a little louder, one that would signify her presence. Perhaps it would be the perfect time to forgo the idea of tea for a little later, and perhaps it would be the perfect time for her to do something she had been thinking about for weeks. Months, even. As her footsteps echoed slightly, the Doctor paused her reading and lifted her head slightly. The movement caused the glasses to fall down her nose slightly, and she quickly pushed them up the bridge of her nose with a smile. The book was turned around and balanced paged down on the top of the armchair while the Doctor straightened herself out.

“Sorry, didn’t see you there. Bit engrossed actually. You weren’t trying to get my attention or anything, were you?”

Despite all of her thoughts screaming ‘no, I was just watching you’, Yaz shook her head and came several steps closer to the Doctor. She could feel the words burning the end of her tongue, wanting to spill over so she could run and pretend like nothing had happened. But she wanted to be brave. Just once. Just to see if she actually could, to see if things really were there and she wasn’t just imagining everything. It was a rare chance to ever get the Doctor in a quiet moment - far too often she was busy doing something - never mind one where she was alone.

“No, I just came by. What’re you reading?”

Catching the Doctor’s attention far more than she intended, Yaz watched as the TIme Lord's face lit up like a Christmas display. She scrambled to retrieve the book off the top of the armchair and patted one of the arms, gesturing for Yaz to come over. A little taken aback by being allowed into her personal space it took a few seconds before Yaz came and sat herself down atop the right arm and leant in slightly as the Doctor showed off her book. Considering the array of emotions she had seen, it was quite a surprise to her that the book didn’t really contain many words. Mostly, it was filled with the most wonderful pictures she had even seen. And, if her eyes weren’t deceiving her, they were moving.

“It’s a psychic book! Not that many species can read them clearly, mine’s one of the few really. But it projects the story into your head and the pictures move accordingly.”

Yaz nodded, but found herself pausing for a moment.

“Wait...if it’s a psychic book, how come I can see it moving?”

The Doctor turned then with a sheepish grin on her face, and Yaz noticed her cheeks were slowly starting to turn a faint shade of pink.

“Um...that’s me. I wanted you to see it so...I might be influencing things a little bit. If you want to get the full experience of it - which I highly recommend by the way - then I’m gonna have to be a conduit.”

She knew what she meant, Yaz had been on the receiving end of the Doctor’s touch telepathy once before. But she really didn’t care about that. Not considering that she was brushing shoulders with her. Certainly not considering how close they were in general. Gathering every single scrap of bravery she had, despite the voices in her head screaming at her to stop, Yaz placed her hand atop the Doctor’s own and watched as she questioningly turned her head around. It was then that there was the faintest glimmer of recognition, of understanding, of the Doctor slowly piecing everything together and her eyes scanning over her face and finally noticing how close they really were. With the world at a standstill, Yaz went to move closer, to finally do the thing she had been dreaming of for so long…

“Yaz, did you ask if-”

With barely a hair's breadth between the, both Yaz and the Doctor’s eyes grew wide as they froze. Ryan stood at the doorway, mouth open as all words failed him. Yaz swore she could hear a hint of a ‘nevermind’ as he quickly disappeared again, although she was still going to have some kind of faux-sibling jab at him later on. If she could ever get over the mortification of being interrupted. She had waited so long...so long...and her moment was dissolving in front of her. Or, she thought it had, until she heard the click of the Doctor’s tongue against her teeth and not a moment later - the crash of her lips against her own.

* * *

26 - Enclosed Spaces

It’s not stealing if it’s being given back to the right people, she had said. They stole it first, we’re just...righting a wrong, she had said. Really, it didn’t matter what the Doctor had said to her, because Yaz had felt her morals slipping into a more grey area as time wore on. Things in life really weren’t as clear-cut as she had thought they were, and on this instance she had somehow rationalised that stealing was a perfectly legitimate thing to do if it was giving a planetary treasure back to the people it originally belonged to. Perhaps the Corsair had the right idea after all...more or less, if she discounted the payment side of things. Though, her train of thought was quickly cut off as she slipped inside the first half of the deadlock vault with the Doctor. The space itself was narrow - very much so - more so than the alcove she had been in during the whole Kerblam incident. That had fit three people in with at least some kind of breathing room. This space...well, she could feel the Doctor right up against her as she tried to sonic the second door.

Or, that was what she was doing.

Until there was a sudden loud click.

“Doctor...please tell me that was from the next door.”

The sound of high pitched buzzing stopped as the Doctor straightened herself out and tried to twist around to the first door. She pushed hard against it, grunting and groaning as she strained against the heavy metal. Breaking away with a gruff sigh, she tried to run her sonic across the hinges and then around the doorframe itself before trying again. No matter what she did, and Yaz watched her try everything until she gave up and read whatever readings she had, face contorting into a grimace.

“Uh...Yaz, I don’t want you to panic, but-”

“Doctor, what have you done?”

“Oi, lemme finish! It’s just the security measures of the vault. Looks like it deadbolts and seals whatever door you go through before going onto the next one. So people can’t just waltz in and out. Guess that puts a dent in the whole “be out in five minutes” job that the Corsair mentioned. I wonder if she knew about this? Can’t see she would, it’s not like she goes around with a sonic and checks anything. She just waves her toys around and goes all Zorro on everyone.”

If she was understanding it correctly, then Yaz was almost entirely sure that the Doctor had locked both of them part way into the safe. Whether or not it was intentional, she had no idea. Then again, the Doctor never seemed to do anything with intent. Ever. It was all just a mass of coincidences, random thoughts and weird actions. Perhaps it wasn’t the worst place to be, considering the first door had opened very quickly.

“Well, are you gonna get the next one done then or what? It’s a little...close in here.”

The Doctor twisted around again until she was facing Yaz, bumping her legs into her with every shuffle and almost throwing herself off slightly as she did so. At the stumble that threatened to topple her over, Yaz, braced her arms and held the Doctor in place for a few seconds before trying to push her own body as close to the wall as possible. However, the Doctor winced and her eyes turned to the floor.

“About that one, too…”

_ ‘Oh, you have to be kidding me.’ _

“The second door has a timer release on it. It won’t open until a certain amount of time has passed. Or, it won’t be able to be cracked open at least. To be honest, there isn’t really meant to be two people going into the vault at one time, which is probably why this space is so close, as you put it. I won’t be able to go at the second door until there’s another click. Sorry, Yaz.”

The universe had to be pulling her leg. Or, the Corsair knew this was going to happen and failed to mention any details at all on purpose. Either way, Yaz gave a sigh and brought her hands to her temples. FIngers rubbed hard for a few seconds as she tried to get used to the overwhelming sensation of tingles and static sparks running through her body. For someone who didn’t enjoy anyone in their personal space without invitation, the Doctor seemed to be just fine. She had shoved her hands into her pockets and was making an attempt at not taking up too much of the small space. Though, she was still restless, and Yaz could see her legs twitching as she tapped her feet and her shoulders bobbing as she tried to dissipate her energy somehow.

_ ‘This is what you wanted. You wanted to get her alone, and be close to her, so congratulations you got your wish. You better make the most of this…’ _

“You know you can just...move around, Doctor.”

Lifting her head and tilting it slightly to one side, the Doctor raised her eyebrows and took a moment to just pointedly stare at Yaz. She opened her mouth to respond, closed it again, before talking finally.

“But...you said it was too close in here. Which means that it’s too small a space. Which means that you don’t want me to move about. So, I’m not gonna. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything, especially as I know we are gonna be in here for I don’t know how long. Last thing you need is-”

Not ready to take another ramble from the Time lord - especially as she could practically feel every single word she spoke - Yaz lifted a hand and pressed a finger to the Doctor’s lips. Quite frankly, she had no idea what possessed her to do it. Whatever the reason was, the Doctor stopped talking almost immediately and Yaz was surprised that she didn’t push her hand away or do anything to stop her from touching her. She could feel something crackling in the air, a new sensation entirely, one that set her pulse quickening. They needed out. Fast.

* * *

27 - One Bed

“This is your room for the night, please enjoy your stay. And thank you, again, for offering to help us with this situation.”

“Oh, you’re quite welcome. Anything we can do to help more, just let us know. Thanks for the hospitality, it’s really appreciate it seeing as my ship’s quite a bit away from here.”

The Doctor waved Elvalor the Second off, turning back to Yaz with a wide grin. A good night’s sleep was just what they needed to carry on with their investigations into missing livestock. She had a few ideas about what could possibly be involved with the situation, but she needed more evidence to go on. All of her options had very different styles of taking animals - some for food, others for sport - but there was nothing to pin any of them down just yet. Yaz had suggested a stakeout during the morning hours when the animals were set back outside, and it was an idea that the Doctor was wholeheartedly on board with. Or, that was, until she actually assessed the room. It was decorated minimally in pastel tones, with the odd floral motif here and there that really sang of Lamboxian culture. There was a desk under the window with a small wooden chair, and the only other feature was a plain and simple double bed. That was going to be a bit of an issue. Really, the Doctor was due some sleep - she had been awake for a week now and was finally starting to slow down - but she could already feel her hearts racing at the thought of-

“It’s nice of them to put us up for the night. I was half expecting you’d say we were gonna camp out in the barns or something.”

Yaz, seemingly unphased by anything, strode into the room and sat down on the bed with a weary sigh. They had already been moving non-stop for several hours now, and more was yet to come. The Doctor slowly made her way inside, pretending to admire the decor as she skirted around the bed slowly.

“Yeah, the Lambox are a really hospitable race. Always open their doors to strangers, especially if it helps them out. Free traders of knowledge and support, great people. I’ll tell you a bit about their history in the morning while we try and spot whatever’s caught up in this mess. Until then, should probably get some sleep.”

It really was quite a simple affair after that; both of them took turns to change out into the spare clothes they found lying about in the bathroom, and Yaz settled into the bed while the Doctor closed the curtains to try and mitigate some of the blinding sunlight. However, after that, she just hovered. Which didn’t go unnoticed by Yaz. She sat up in the bed, covers half way up her chest, watching as she slowly moved to sit on the floor.

“Doctor, what are you doing?”

She paused - one hand on the floor and body twisted into a strange half-crouch - looking up at Yaz with a weary smile.

“Getting ready for bed, why?”

“You’re getting ready for bed...on the floor?”

Eventually, the Doctor settled down cross-legged, giving a quick nod as she started to turn her pile of clothes into a make-shift pillow. She dragged her coat across the stone floor and draped it over her torso.

“Yeah, s’only one bed and you need to sleep way more than I do, should be fine after an hour or two, no need to be comfy or anything. Slept on way worse than this. I fell asleep under the console once in a tiny vent, didn’t bother me in the slightest. Have a good night.”

“Doctor.”

She tried her best to ignore Yaz’s response to her near-ramble, settling her head against her clothes pile and closing her eyes.

“Doctor.”

It was fine, she was happy on the floor, there was nothing-

“Doctor!”

Bolting upright, the Doctor quickly turned her head over towards Yaz. She was still sitting up in the bed, but she had thrown the covers off the other side and was practically glaring at her. Her stare held firm as she gestured with her head and eyes to the empty side.

“Get in.”

There it was again, the same frantic out-of-sync rhythm of her hearts. It was just a bed, why was it such a big deal to her suddenly? The Doctor lifted a hand and opened her mouth to interject, to reaffirm her position that the floor was perfectly fine, but she didn’t even have a second to utter a fraction of a syllable.

“If you say no again, I am gonna come over there and drag you up here myself. Please, the floor’s no place to be sleeping. Just...just come up here.”

Clearly, it was a fight she was never going to win - not like it was really even a fight - and the Doctor quickly resigned herself to her fate. Really, it was next to impossible for her to refuse Yaz in any capacity. Something always seemed to stop her, keep her in check, make her malleable to her requests. Dragging herself off the floor, she slowly shuffled towards the other side of the bed. The Doctor stood, looked on, tried to read the expression on Yaz’s face, before another firm pat to the mattress sedimented the idea. Bed it was.

She carefully crawled in, slipping her legs under the duvet and humming quietly as Yaz dropped the duvet over her body and settled into the bed herself. There was some distance between them, and yet the Doctor swore it felt as if they were just squashed up together, as if she could feel Yaz brushing up against her. It was just an overactive imagination. Although, when she turned her head to the side to thank her, the Doctor felt all rational thoughts leave her brain in a second. Yaz’s face was framed by her loose hair cascading around her, eyes soft and warm even in the darkened room, a gentle smile on her face.

_ ‘This is so much better than the floor.’ _

* * *

28 - Mutual Pining

_ Yasmin Khan, what kind of an absolute mess have you gotten yourself into? Then again, you never could do anything the easy way. No, not at all. You always had to find the most complicated, most infuriating ways of doing things. Quite frankly I’m surprised you’re not tired of it all uet. But you can’t be, can you? Oh no, far from it. You’re having far too much fun with it all aren’t you? I can’t say I blame you really. I mean; whoever thinks that they can travel through space? Or time? Nobody, not unless you’re an avid daydreamer or some kind of creative writer. You’re living out their wildest dreams, day in and day out, exploring the universe. Doing everything you ever wanted to do. You’re helping people, you’re living your life just like you always wanted to. But it still isn’t easy, is it? Because you decided to make things even more complicated for yourself. Again, you could have just chosen the easy option - it’s right there in front of you, after all, though you really don’t want it - instead you chose the worst one in the entire universe. Not like it’s gotten past anyone, though. Oh, you can see it in their eyes, in the way they talk to you. _

_ People know. _

_ People can see and sense everything you’re trying to hide from yourself. You try to push it deep down, as far down inside you as it will go, because you don’t want to face up to it. You don’t want to talk about it, to feel it, to do anything with it except stand there and let it burn you from the inside out. It consumes you, fuels you, makes you think and say and do things you never even dreamt of before now. No matter what you do, no matter what you try and accomplish, you can’t escape it. Feelings are meant to be felt, not tucked away in some recess inside your brain and left to fester and rot. You’re scared. You’re scared you have no hope. You’re scared that it’s all just a fantasy you’ve been playing with for...how long now? Weeks? Months? It’s been so long that you can’t even remember anymore. But you know exactly how it started. Like you’ll ever forget that. The first questioning tone against your authority, the vague hints of confusion and softness and curiosity. You were taken in from the get-go, and all you’ve been doing is falling harder and harder ever since then. Then again, how could you knot? How could you ignore someone so pragmatic, so inspiring, so brave and smart and deeply intriguing. A puzzle, just waiting to be solved, something to be unravelled and explored and understood. Someone with so much knowledge, so many feelings, so many things you want to know and understand. _

_ You’ve got it bad. So bad. You can’t hide it any longer, Yaz. You need to face up to this, to feel everything you’ve been pushing to one side. Experience it, learn from it, grow. I know it’s the most frightening thing in the universe, and you’re so scared that there’s absolutely nothing good about you to ever warrant something coming back your way...but you can’t keep hiding forever. The longer you do, the more likely you’re going to miss your chance. Could you ever live with yourself, if you let this moment pass you by? Will you ever forgive yourself for not taking a leap into the unknown and just trying, for once, to allow yourself to be happy? Be brave. Be the bravest you have ever been, because for all you know… _

_ You aren’t alone in how you feel. _

\-----

_ Two thousand years. Two thousand years - probably, we have no idea how old we are - and you still fall into the same habits. How long is it going to be, Doctor, before you realise you have a type? You pick up the same ones all the time; the young faces, doe-eyes, big hearts and strong mouths, filled with passion and understanding. Every single time you see them, and you’re gone. Nothing changes. No matter if you try and buck the trend, there’s always going to be someone. If you don’t notice them, they certainly notice you. How can they not? You’re everything to them. To humans, to every other race. The Time Lords are up on a pedestal and there’s nothing you can do about it. So you try and get down onto their level, make yourself more human, make yourself something more palatable and pleasing. Something softer, safer, something far less dangerous than you know you are. But the mask slips, doesn’t it? There are times that they see the real you - the Time Lord - and you expect them to run away. Just like you did. Run away in fear and confusion of what is standing right in front of you. Except they don’t. Oh, they could never run away, how could they? You draw them in like moths to a flame, promising them the universe and everything they could ever wish for. Your humanity draws them in, and the dark underbelly of your soul just tempts them further. They want to understand the darkness inside you, but how could they ever understand? _

_ But this time...you want her to stay. _

_ Underneath it all you are tired and old, broken and bruised. You’ve tried pushing her away after you pulled her in too close. You tried to warn her off with danger and death and destruction and you thought you’d won. You’re sure you’ve won. How could it be any other way? Who would willingly stay with a madman - madwoman. You are danger, you are death, you are misery and pain and loss and fear and betrayal and destruction and why won’t she just leave? And yet, you don’t want her to. Not really. How could you ever want her to leave? She is soft, and kind, helpful and wise, brave and bold and so much more clever than you think she even realises. You want to help her grow into it, to be as brilliant as you think she is. Know she is. But it's not just that, is it? You want that softness, that kindness. You want to break down all the walls you have for her, let her in, give over every broken part of yourself just to be held for once. Have someone tell you that it's going to be okay. Care for you. Love you.  _

_ You just don't think you deserve it. _

_ How could you even think you deserve it, when all you've been told for your entire life is that you don't. You have such an endless capacity for love - you have loved and lost so much - but you would do it all again for her. You would sacrifice anything to love her. What are you so afraid of, Doctor? What is it about love that scares you so much? Why can't you just accept the fact that you love her just as much as all the stars in the sky? Why can't you let yourself be open and honest, free? You deserve freedom. You deserve love. You deserve care. Submit to the idea of being known, being vulnerable, being loved. She could give you so much, much more than you could ever experience in this lifetime. Let her. How can you be afraid of something you don't know exists? How can you be so afraid, knowing that there is a statistical probability that you could be wrong? What if… _

_ What if she loves you too? _

* * *

29 - Drunken Flirting

"Doc, are you alright? You're looking a little peaky. Bit red 'round the gills."

It had been an hour since the pub quiz had ended, and the hustle and bustle in the pub itself had slowly been dying down. After coming in second place, Graham had decided to stick around a bit and thank the Doctor for her efforts with his team. While Graham was perfectly happy to just enjoy a night out with his old friends and have a laugh at the quiz nights, there was something exceedingly thrilling about coming back home with a little plastic medal and a voucher for a free meal. The Doctor had tried to rebuff his offer, but Graham persisted, and they both sat in the corner of the pub nursing their third drinks. They had talked about all sorts of things; their journeys, their lives, and quite frankly he was shocked that the Doctor had even opened up to him about anything at all. Considering she was usually more closed off and a little bristly when it came to detailing bits of her life.

“Nooooo. M’fine. Really. S’nothin’ wrong with me.”

Graham didn’t exactly believe her. It was hard to, considering he barely managed to get a grasp on her words over the slurs and the strange grin on her face. He himself was a little bit of a lightweight, a couple of pints would get to his head quite quickly these days. But, after having devoured a roast, he was taking to his cider quite well. The one thing he didn’t understand was that the Doctor had only ordered ginger beer. Sure, the label on the bottles clearly said it was alcoholic, but those things were child's play compared to every other drink on the market.

“Sorry sunshine, I don’t believe you. Even Ryan can hold his drink better than you. And that’s saying something. You’re not, like, intolerant or anything are you? Please tell me I don’t have t’run you back to the TARDIS before you black out or something. I don’t have the strength in me to drag you all the way back.”

Taking a hard swig of the ginger beer, the Doctor dropped the bottle on the table - almost sending it flying to the floor - before resting on her elbows and shaking her head slowly.

“Nah. S’gonna be fine. S’just part of my phys-physio-physiolology. Physiolology...physiology. That thing. Hah, what a funny word. Y’see Graham...Time Lords are a super advanced race. Waaaaaaaay beyond you humans. We’ve got all sorts ‘f weird things. ‘Cept, w’really don’t like ginger. Messes with our insides. Can be dangerous stuff. Jus’ means I get tipsy quicker. ‘S all.”

Clearly.

While the Doctor started to quietly giggle to herself, seemingly enamoured by the green reflections of light across the table from her bottle, Graham let out a sigh. He wasn’t worried, not really. It was more...that moment you see a child doing something completely ‘them’, and wanting to make sure they are okay. Taking the last bit of cider in, he pushed his chair out and started to pull his jacket back on. It was better to take the Doctor back, before he asked for another drink. He rounded the table and stood at her side, holding out an arm and gently nudging her.

“Come on Doc, let’s get back to mine, eh? I’ll let you have the last couple of custard creams in the pantry.”

Food never really seemed to bribe the Doctor - nothing really did, it was terribly hard to coerce her into doing anything - and yet this time, she instantly reacted. Like a flash, she was scrambling off the chair, stumbling and then clinging to Graham with wide eyes and a flash of teeth.

“Really? Aww, that’s ace. You’re ace, Graham. D’you know that? ‘Cause you are.”

“If you say so. Let’s get going.”

With the Doctor clinging to his arm and frantically waving the remaining pub staff goodbye, Graham began the slow walk back home. Really, he didn’t live too far away from his local. Just a ten minute walk. He hoped that the cool air would help clear the Doctor’s head a little bit too. It wasn’t too hard to walk at a pace that stopped her from stumbling, although she was very easily distracted by the lights of the newsagents and passing cars. It was like taking a two year old on a walk.

“Graham. C’n I ask y’somethin’?”

“Of course, Doc. What’s on your mind?”

It was a rarity for the Doctor to ask permission to ask a question, but that wasn’t the thing that threw Graham off the most. More the fact that she stopped walking and let go of his arm. She stood there, on the pavement, almost curling into herself like a scared child who was afraid of being told off. Whatever was on her mind, it was important, and he wanted to be careful.

“Can I borrow y’phone? S’just that I wanna call Yaz...but mine’s ‘n the TARDIS.”

“Uh. Sure. One sec, lemme just…”

Fishing around inside his jacket pocket, Graham pulled out his phone and scrolled through his phone book until he found Yaz sitting at the bottom. With a click, the call was set, and he passed the phone to the Doctor, who took it eagerly and pressed it to her ear. It was only a few seconds before there was an answer.

“Graham? Are you alr-”

“Yaz! Hi. Hi Yaz. It’s me. Hiya.”

“Doctor? What’re you doing with Graham’s phone?”

While the conversation was going, the Doctor held up her other hand with a strong thumbs up, which gave Graham a little chuckle.

“S’nothin’ really. ‘E took me t’a quiz! W’got second. Was amazing.”

“Okay...Doctor, have you been drinking?”

“Pshhhhh noooooo. Of course not. S’irrisponsibible of me. ‘Sides, I’m not drunk, I’m just intoxicated by you.”

From the phone speaker on her left, and off to the side on her right, all the Doctor heard at exactly the same time was her name being shouted into both ears. Not that it mattered, nor that she paid attention, she was too busy grinning and giggling away to herself.

“Yaz. Yaz. Yaaaaaaaz. Hey. Hey. Just. Um. Hey, do you like cocktails? Because I think you and I should mix.”

“Aaaaand I think this is where I get my phone back, Doc.”

In a few strides, Graham was around the Doctor’s opposite side and took the phone away from her. Considering the state she was in, it was remarkably easy, that and she was still too busy lost in her own little world to notice. By the time he put the phone to his ear, he wasn’t sure if he could hear a groan or some kind of laughter.

“Blimey, Yaz. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think that she’d-”

“It’s alright Graham. Really. Just, maybe take her home and get her some water, yeah? What did you even give her?”

“Three ginger beers! It wasn’t even anything strong! Turns out, she’s basically intolerant to the stuff and it sends her loopy. Don’t worry, I’ll keep her safe. Just...maybe don’t mention this. I just hope she’s not gonna be hungover or anything. Sorry, again.”

With that, Graham put the phone down and returned it to his pocket, carrying on the journey home with a wobbly and giggling Time Lord in tow. Meanwhile, Yaz was staring dumbfounded at her phone, starting to wonder if there was anything behind the incredibly out-of-left-field flirting the Doctor was trying.

* * *

30 - Hope

It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day, not even if she had tried to predict it herself. The twin suns were high in the sky, raining down across fields of copper and gold, swaying gently in the breeze. A few strides away, was the TARDIS, looking beyond magnificent under the orange glow of the planet’s surface. It had been so long since the Doctor had come back, so long since she had dared even think of everything that had happened. And yet, it was almost the perfect time for her to come back. To walk across the dusty, arid fields of Gallifrey again, to see the world as she remembered it with eyes that had last seen it burnt to ashes. But this wasn’t the Capitol; there were no ruins, no broken Citadel, no memories of who she once was and who she had come to be. No, it was somewhere far away from it all, on a small corner of Gallifrey she had only explored once in her life before she had run away from it all. Tried to forget. Move on. Perhaps then, that was why she felt so safe to come back. She had grown, grown so much since the last time she had stepped foot on the planet. There was no lingering sense of fear, no dread, no anger. She had made peace with herself.

“Doctor?”

Turning her head to the side, she looked over towards the TARDIS with a smile, gesturing over the tall grasses and guiding her over to the blanket where she sat. Of all the people she had met, in this lifetime at the very least, she had come to the conclusion that there was nobody quite like Yasmin Khan. Oh, she could compare her to those who came before, to those she had loved and lost in equal measure, but she resisted. Looking back was counterproductive, she was set in the here and now. Finally, she could stop looking backwards, stop looking forwards. All she needed to look at was now. After all, what use was there in worrying anymore? It was pointless. All she needed was the gentle touch of her companion, the warm smile of her face, and the burning curiosity for the universe behind her eyes. Yaz strode through the grasses, arms out to either side and swaying slightly. Gallifrey was not known for easy traversal, at least on the Western sides. She eventually came to the outspread blanket and sat herself down beside the Doctor, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek before looking out on the world before her.  
  


It had been seven years since they had last been on Gallifrey. Both of them. Seven long, strange, amazing years. Both of them had convinced themselves they would never see the other again, not since The Incident. They decided to never name it, it wasn’t important anymore. Seven years of travelling through all of space and time, going on exciting adventures and seeing new worlds. Crossing into new territories both with everything around them, and with themselves. There had been times, even, that the Doctor has simply stayed put on Earth. She had powered the TARDIS down for a sleep - which was much needed, after so many years of constant travel - and simply existed as a not-quite-human. Quite frankly, even the Doctor had been surprised at how quickly she had been domesticated. But, it was all thanks to the people around her. The people she loved more than anything else. The family she had finally gained, one she had wanted for so long. Graham had taught her how to cook, though it was still more a game of science than anything she felt enjoyable. She had spent camping trips with Ryan, taught him to ride his bike, helped him get a job as a mechanic. Najia and Hakim had been more than accommodating of her, though it had taken several months before the chaos of it all had died down.

After all, who really could have expected the Doctor of all people, to settle down?

“It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah...it really is.”

The Doctor had been running from Gallifrey for all of their lives. Countless lives, some that they couldn’t even remember. Everything about the planet used to invoke the worst feelings inside them, even though it had given them a grandchild. A family. All of that had been lost, and they had lost themselves too. Travelling was all the Doctor had, to keep them sane. But that wasn’t the case anymore. Now, they could sit on Gallifrey, and enjoy it for what it was; a beautiful planet. Shuffling across the blanket, the Doctor reached out and wrapped an arm around Yaz’s shoulder, humming to herself as she felt her head come and rest against her own shoulder. Yaz was soft and warm and everything she could have ever hoped for in life.

Hope.

Despite everything. Despite all the loss, the hurt, the pain and the suffering...the Doctor had still held onto that one word. It had been the only thing that gave them a glimmer of light. Something to hold onto. They had walked through wars, had so much blood on their hands, begged for redemption. They had cried, and screamed, broken down into nothing. And yet the Doctor was still a beacon of hope. While it had been surface level, and only to those around them, finally...after so many years, it had stuck to them. They were hope. They believed in hope. They held it close to their hearts and promised never to let it go again. Hope abided in the face of everything, they had said so themselves, and it was true. Without hope, they were nothing at all. They had learnt to accept hope, only because of the people who believed in them. So many people, who saw hope in them and kept it safe and warm until the Doctor was ready to accept it. In all those seven years, there had been no bigger beacon of hope than Yaz, and the Doctor thanked every star in the known universe that something had been kind enough to throw them together. Finally, they were happy, and full of hope for the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading~ Please feel free to chat with me about my fics! Love a good comment.
> 
> Also find me on Twitter/Tumblr under the same name ❤️


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